A RUBY JUBILEE IS A YEAR OF GRACE FOR US CAPUCHIN FRIARS IN CAMEROON
Peace & Goodness ! How Can we repay the Lord for His goodness to us?
Dear brothers and sisters as saint Francis would call every creature of God fratello & sorella. We the friars of Cameroon are humbled but at the same time grateful to the Most high God for his unfathomable graces bestowed on us during these years of Active and faithful service to the Church, the World and to our cameroonian society specifically in the diverse areas of our presences in Cameroon and Mission Lands.
Furthermore, celebrating 40 years is also celebrating your unflinching spiritual, Moral, financial and material support as friends, benefactors, well wishers, people of Goodwill, & biological families etc.. The love and fraternity we have shared these forty years inspite of the odds has grown from strength to strength. Today, we rejoice because the seed that was sown by brother Umberto Paris aka Father Taa of blessed memory has grown to its bounds. Today, the first cameroonian indigenous capuchin friar, Tobias Wirmum is fulfilled going back memory lane and seeing the journey that was begun in faith as a risk adventure with God has borne many more brothers after his witness of the Capuchin Franciscan way of life in Cameroon. Praise and honor to the Most Holy Trinity that at 40, the Fransciscan Capuchin Custody of St. Francis in Cameroon as a family looking at the joyful and painful moments these past years can rejoice at having contributed to the growth of the Capuchin charism by providing brothers for service at the highest level of the Order like friar Kilian Ngitir as a General Counsellor for Africa at the General Curia, friar Francis Dor Bongajum as International Spiritual Assistant for the Secular Franciscan Order (CIOFS ), and growing to Maturity has sent some of her members as missionaries to Italy (Loreto), Ivory Coast, Gabon, Zambia, Kenya and soon Equatorial Guinea.
At 40, she has grown to about 100 friars. In fact, the Capuchin charism has spread to all the nooks and cranees of the National territory with vocations booming from both the English and French speaking Parts of Cameroon. The Capuchin brothers are present and serve in six Dioceses : Kumbo Diocese (Sacred Heart fraternity in Shisong Parish, St. Anthony of Padua Comprehensive College Mbohtong, , St. Mary of the Angels Novitiate fraternity Sop, in Theresa Parish Sop), Arch Diocese of Bamenda ( st. Francis of Assisi fraternity Bambui (Theologicum)while other young brothers are in fraternité Notre Dame de Lorette Ouidah Republique du Benin (Philosophicum & franciscum), St. Bernard Parish Big Babanki, Emmaus Outreach Centre Down Town Bamenda), Diocese of Buea (Saint Jude Parish Mile 16 Bolifamba), Diocese of Bafoussam ( fraternité Sainte Trinité de Bafoussam en la Pariosse St. Charles de Ngoauche, la Chapelle St. Pio de Pietriecina de Toket Tonseu, Paroisse St.Kizito de Balengou), Diocese de Bafang ( Fraternité Sainte Famille de Bayong en Paroisse ste. Famille de Bayong). This has been sealed by a smooth and gracefilled transition from Italian capuchin missionaries from our mother Province of San Carlo, Lombardia – Milano to the first cameroonian Major Superior as Custos, in the person of brother Kenneth Kinyuy Ayeni. Not forgetting the sad page of Necrology. However St. Francis will call it the peaceful transitus with sister death that has touched this family may our venerable brothers Umberto Paris, Massimo, Roberto Pirovano, Alex Lerone Mbole & Felice Luigi Trussardi intercede for us as render immense thanks to God for having associated us to this mission of saving souls in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi.
In a nutshell, How can we repay the Lord for his goodness to us? Come One, Come All to share our joys, our pains, blessings and graces with us. The launching of the Jubilee Year will be on the 22nd February 2022 at Shisong Parish the First place of settlement of the Capuchins and will end in Buea next Year 2023.
Jubilation ! jubilation ! jubilation is everywhere.
