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Cameroon: Bishop Admonishes Priests to Shun Materialism
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The Post (Buea)
31 March 2008
Posted to the web 31 March 2008
Elvis Tah
The Bishop of Buea Diocese, Immanuel Banlanjo Bushu, has cautioned priests to overcome the temptation of grabbing money for themselves.
The Bishop made this call at the Regina Pacis Cathedral, Small Soppo, Buea, during the ordination of Rev. Engelbert Ofon, 34, Thursday, March 27.In his homily, the Bishop said priesthood is a call that one must abandon material things and focus on God's ministries, just as Jesus Christ did. He added that Jesus Christ was born in a very poor family and he did not amass wealth while on earth.
The Bishop entreated priests to be servants of the people just like Jesus Christ served in the days of yore. He reminded Rev. Ofon on the challenges that await him and urged him to preach the word of God, baptise the Christians and always listen to his Bishop.
Bushu invited Rev. Ofon to the altar for the 'Ordination Rite'. The newly ordained priest took the oath to carry out his pastoral ministries as the church demands.This was followed by the 'Laying of Hands', a ritual in which Rev. Ofon knelt before the Bishop and he laid his hands on Rev. Ofon's head in silence, followed by a congregation of assisting priests from various dioceses.
Rev. Ofon was obliged to prostrate and welcome the infusion of the Holy Spirit. He was anointed and empowered to bless the congregation and join the Bishop and his concelebrants; Rev. Father Polycarp Fonjock, Vice Rector of St. Thomas Acquinas Major Seminary, Bambui, and the Vicar General of Buea Diocese, Rev/Fr. Edward Ngalame, to celebrate the mass.
About 52 priests from Buea Diocese and beyond took turns to greet and embrace Rev. Ofon to welcome him into priesthood. Amongst the assisting priests was Mgr. James Toba who recently celebrated 50 years in the priesthood.
Father Engelbert Ofon
Rev. Engelbert Ofon was born on December 23, 1974, in Tole, Buea. He is the first in a family of six. He attended Catholic School, Sasse, from 1982 to 1989. His next stop was Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary from 1989 to 1994, where he obtained the GCE O Level certificate and proceeded to Government High School, Limbe from 1994 to 1996 and obtained the GCE A Level Certificate.
Rev. Ofon was admitted by His Lordship Pius Suh Awa, Bishop Emeritus of Buea Diocese, as a candidate for formation into the priesthood at in Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary in 1998. There he taught as a prospective seminarian. Subsequently, he proceeded to St. John Mary Vianney's Spiritual Centre, Bafut, where he did a one-year spiritual formation.
In September 2000, he was admitted into St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary where he did philosophical studies for three years.Rev. Ofon then went out for a year of pastoral experience at the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Buea, UB, and the Youth and Animation Centre of Buea Diocese in Molyko.
He returned to the Seminary for theological studies in September 2004 and was ordained deacon by His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua at the Bamenda Metropolitan Cathedral.
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Rev. Ofon enjoys horticulture, music, sightseeing and reading. He will return to Bambui to serve as a student priest before coming back in June to be posted.
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