As the St Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Bamenda nears its long-awaited reopening on 14 November 2025, Archbishop Andrew Nkea has revealed that the ongoing facelift extends far beyond the building’s physical restoration.
“We could not leave his grave the way it was... We are doing a facelift of the Archdiocese and the Cathedral, and we must also do the facelift of the grave of the founder.” Archbishop Andrew Nkea said.
He explained that Bishop Verdzekov’s tomb has been placed within a special chapel designed to embody the unity of the Church across time and eternity.
“This chapel will be for us the connection in the communion of saints, the link between the pilgrim Church, the suffering Church, and the triumphant Church... When you enter, you feel connected at all three levels of the Church.” he said.
Currently referred to as the chapel for the burial of bishops, the Archbishop announced it will soon bear the inscription In Paradisus which is the Latin for “In Paradise.”
Meanwhile, parishioners of St Joseph’s Cathedral have been actively involved in preparing the sacred space for the rededication ceremony, to be led by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt. The event will mark both the cathedral’s reopening and the 50th anniversary of its consecration in 1975.
According to Rev Fr Joseph Dufe Ndzelen, the faithful have been turning out in large numbers for cleaning and final arrangements, driven by what he described as “faith in action.”
Facing the city, the cathedral’s façade now displays images of Pope Paul VI who created the Diocese in 1970 and Pope John Paul II who elevated it to an Archdiocese in 1982 flanking St Joseph with the Child Jesus, patron of both the Archdiocese and Cathedral.
The upcoming rededication is expected to be a historic moment of renewal, remembrance, and unity honouring the legacy of Bishop Verdzekov, whose life and faith continue to inspire many within the local Church.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Online
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