At Futru Parish in Bamenda this Thursday, 3 July 2025, the Archbishop of Bamenda, His Grace Andrew Nkea Fuanya, delivered a stirring and spiritually charged homily ahead of what is expected to be the largest single ordination ceremony for the Piarist Order in Cameroon’s ecclesiastical history.
Speaking before a congregation that spilled far beyond the walls of the parish church, Archbishop Nkea described the day as “a great one” not only for the twelve deacons poised to be ordained, but also for their families, the Piarist community, and the Church as a whole.
“Today, their dream will come true,” he said, “and what they have carried in their hearts all their lives, God will bring to fulfilment.”
Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya delivering homily
The Archbishop, renowned for his frank and expressive style, used the moment to teach and challenge. He reminded the candidates that priesthood is neither a personal right nor a career achievement.
“You are not the best or the holiest. There are better men whom God did not choose. Why? Only God knows. But He has chosen you. You did not choose Him.” he said
Drawing from the words of Christ in the Gospel of John “You did not choose me, I chose you” and echoing Pope John Paul II’s reflection that every vocation is a gift and a mystery, Archbishop Nkea declared this moment a divine appointment rather than a human ambition.
He walked the congregation through the sacred acts of ordination beginning with the call of the candidates.
“Up to this point, you were only discerning. Today, when your name is called and you say, ‘Present,’ it is the voice of God calling through your superior.” he explained
He painted a vivid spiritual image of the litany of saints, during which the candidates would prostrate before the altar.
“It is like shaking the graves of the saints and asking them to rise and enter you. You lie there as dead men, and when you rise, it is Christ who lives in you. Anyone who says they want to kill a priest is wasting time the man already died.” he declared
As he looked forward to the rite of anointing, Archbishop Nkea underscored the power entrusted to priestly hands.
“When your hands are anointed, they will bless, heal, and sanctify. They will call heaven upon the altar. They will cast out demons. But those hands, once surrendered in obedience, must never serve any mission but the Church’s.” he stated
The Archbishop also warned against disobedience and division within the priesthood.
“Never rupture communion with your superiors. You may wear a smile, but your heart will know the ache of disunity.” he cautioned the candidates.
The timing of the ordination on the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle gave further depth to the Archbishop’s message. He drew from Thomas’s famous declaration of faith, “My Lord and my God,” urging the new priests to make that phrase their lifelong mantra.
“Whether in moments of doubt, sacramental mystery, or when human reason fails, fall back on those words. Let them be your faith’s anchor.”
Archbishop Nkea concluded his homily by urging the twelve candidates to root their personal devotions within the larger spirituality of the Piarist Order, and to carry forward the charism of their founder, Saint Joseph Calasanz. He reminded them that their priesthood would be sustained not by power, knowledge, or even zeal but by deep love for the Church and unwavering faith.
At press time, the ordination ceremony was still ongoing, with thousands of faithful witnessing this extraordinary moment of grace and commitment. Once ordained, the twelve Piarist priests will become not just ministers at the altar, but living echoes of the Church’s apostolic foundation — hands consecrated to bless, voices called to preach, hearts shaped to serve.
In a parish overflowing with devotion and solemn expectation, the words of Saint Thomas now ring louder than ever: My Lord and my God.
Amongst those attending the ordination is the Mayor of the Bamenda III Council, Fongu Cletus Tanwe, The Fon of Nkwen HRH Fon Azefor III, the Fon of Mejong and others
By Bakah Derick in Futru
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