allAfrica.com: Cameroon: Our Christians Are Enthusiastic, Hard Working

The Bishop of Buea, Mgr Immanuel Banlanjo Bushu, has praised the Christians of Buea Diocese as being enthusiastic and hardworking for the interest of the Diocese. The Bishop, who is currently on a tour of the Diocese, calls on Christians to live holy lives. In this interview, the Bishop talks about his pastoral mission, newly created institutions, the recent transfers made within the diocese and his vision for Buea Diocese.

How is the Buea Diocese faring?

Mrg. Bushu:The Diocese is faring well. The Christians are working very hard. They are making all the necessary efforts to live a Christian life, deepen their faith and more.

What is the motivation for your on-going pastoral visit across the diocese?

It's not a special programme. It's an ordinary visit that I do to each community. It's a yearly tour that I've to undertake in the diocese and touch base with the parishes and mission stations.

What are some of the needs of your Christians as you interact with them?

Their needs are not different from that of a normal human being and Christian community. We are dealing with their spiritual needs, depending on the persons contacted; the youths, the men and women. Spiritually, there are varieties of problems. We also have health and social problems of the community. We are dealing with the whole person and his/her environment.

Tell us more about the new institutions you have introduced in the diocese?

Some have been there, some have just started. Those are needs people expressed. They take very active part in getting them going. We give deadlines and start them. Those are the things we do with our primary and secondary schools. We have started Our Lady of Grace Secondary School in Muyuka.

In Limbe, construction for an all girls secondary school is currently going on; there is the teacher training college, which will come up in Buea. We have lost many of our teachers, who have gone away either to the civil service or in the private sector. We need trained teachers for our schools. So, we thought that we should get this training institution for our teachers go on next academic year.

How has the Christians and the public received the new ideas you have brought to the diocese?

It is their things, coming from the community. They have shown that desire and so we promote and help them realise those things. They are very enthusiastic about them. They feel that their needs are being fulfilled and they are part and parcel of it. They work very hard for them and they are very happy.

What is your vision for Buea Diocese?

In any Catholic diocese, what we do is continue the work of the predecessor with enthusiasm. This is same as the one before him and we go down to the founder himself; proclaiming, calling the name of Jesus, telling the world that His Kingdom is there, that we should live holy lives, we should repent and come away from what is not His own to Him. That's what we are doing all the time, every Bishop, every Priest. There is nothing really particular, nothing extra-ordinary that we are doing in the diocese.

Where are we with the much-talked-about Idenau Parish Project?

It's still underway. What we have done so far is the construction of a primary school, on four hectares of land. We have not progressed further than that because we are looking forward to acquire 40-hectares of land in Idenau. When I came, that was the talk and we have written about that. We are hoping to get more land so that the proposed church, health centre, presbytery and other structures will be constructed.

There is also the upcoming Catholic Radio...

That is a project for the ecclesiastical diocese. The Catholic Church in the English speaking part of Cameroon has that as a project; the four dioceses that constitute the Catholic Church province of English speaking Cameroon. They will also have subsidiary stations of that provincial radio. That way, all of us are involved as a province.

Is the coming of Claretian Priests in Kosala, Kumba, an indication that a Parish is in the pipeline for Kosala Christians?

Kosala is a very big portion of the Sacred Heart Parish in Fiango, Kumba. For long, there has been that hope. They have a very big church there for the community to worship. We have been thinking to get a parish there, but the shortage of Priests has been holding us back. Last year, the Claretians promised us they will come. They have indicated very firmly that they will be there soon. We have asked that they go to Fiango; they stay there and work for the eventual parish to come up in Kosala in the next one year.

The Christians of Tole are wishing to have a church of their own, instead of moving to Small Soppo. What's your take on that?

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