By DANIELA NEBA NGUM
The Bishop of the Diocese of Mamfe, His Lordship Andrew Nkea Fuanya has called on the newly ordained priest, Rev. Fr. Jacob Ketchen to be committed to God more than ever in order to overcome the challenges that comes with priesthood.
Bishop Nkea Fuanya was speaking on November 18 at the Immaculate Conception Parish Nguti during a solemn mass to ordain Rev.Fr.Jacob Ketchen Tambe of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, Nguti.
The Bishop while preaching the Gospel chosen from Matthew 20:25-28 noted that the scriptural powers Rev.Fr. Tambe will possess will enable him to celebrate the Holy Communion, heal the sick, convert Christians, bless marriages and give befitting burial to Christians.
He furthered that space and time cannot stop the power of God ordained on Rev.Fr. Tambe and anything he touches in the name of Jesus Christ will be Holy.
‘Even angels in heaven don’t have the kind of spirit that priests have yet they are mare human beings’, His Lordship stated.
His Lordship the Bishop of Mamfe called on Rev.Fr. Tambe to be more committed to God for there are more challenges he will encounter as a priest.
The Bishop urged Christians to continue to pray for their priest not to fall in to temptation from the devil since every priest is a huge target for demonic attacks.
He told Christians that their prayers will go a long way to make their priest spiritually strong and in return strengthen Christians spiritually.
Earlier on the Chairman of the Priest Council of Immaculate Concept Parish Nguti, Frida Besong Ayukashu in her welcome addressed thanked the Bishop for allowing the ordination ceremony take place at the Immaculate Conception Parish Nguti instead of the cathedral.
She noted that it is a privilege for them to have a son who was born, baptized and nurtured in faith in the Immaculate Conception Parish Nguti ordained in the same parish.
The President of Brothers and sisters of Hospitaller Order of St. John of God while thanking everyone present launched the 50th anniversary of St. John of God in Cameroon.
Reactions
At the end of the ordination mass Rev.Fr. Tambe said; “‘I feel very happy and fulfilled today to be what I am because from my religious family, the Hospitaller Order of God we are brothers and not clerics but among us there are some chosen to become priest and I have this great opportunity today to have the ordination done in my home parish’.
Rev.Fr. Tambe further called on youths who have been called to serve the Lord not to shy away nor be scared of the number of years they will take before being ordained as priest.
‘Priesthood is not a matter of counting years but it’s a matter of answering God’s call. If God calls you truly, even if you are 80 years or you have to do 20 years of studies you will still have that opportunity to succeed’, he noted.
He was corroborated by Rev.Fr. Wilson Gema, a priest from the Nguti Parish who noted that the last of the worries somebody should have is the number of years because anybody who goes to the formation of priesthood and begins the training will realize that the time is too short.
Sir Dominic Aleke Ngwese, the Night of Order of St. Moloumba the Diocese of Mamfe and a Parishioner of the Immaculate Conception Parish Nguti said they are elated because it is an extraordinary conception that the Bishop allows for the ordination to be carried out in their parish.
He however prays that the grace of God will accompany Rev.Fr. Tambe as he begins his priestly mission.
Background
Rev.Fr. Jacob Ketchen Tambe was born on the August 31, 1983 at St. John of God Hospital Nguti, baptized on May 26, 1990, received First Holy Communion on December 24, 1991, and the Sacrament of Confirmation on January 12, 1992, all at the Immaculate Conception Parish, Nguti.
In 1997, he obtained his FSLC at GS Nguti now GBPS Nguti, he then obtained his GCE O’ Level in 2002 in GHS Nguti and then proceeded to GBHS Kumba where he had his GCE A’ Level in 2004.
In 2004, he entered the postulancy in Cameroon where he was approved for novitiate that will start in 2005 at Agoe-Nyive, Togo. After two years of intense formation and community experiences he was admitted to do his first profession into the Hospitaller Order of St John of God in 2007. In September 17, 2008 he travelled to Afagan to undergo a three Diploma course in Nursing. He was admitted into priesthood on November 15, 2013.