By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
Members of the Catholic Men Association in Cameroon have been exhorted to follow the footsteps of St Joseph by being Men of honour. They have equally been called upon to remain united and stand firm in the Lord. The call was made recently in Buea during the laying of the Foundation stone for the CMA National Secretariat at Molyko, Buea.
Chairing the history making event which commenced with a holy mass were Bishops Immanuel Bushu of the Diocese of Buea and his Lordship Bishop Agapitus Nfon of the Kumba Diocese.
During the event, the Bishop of the Buea Diocese, his lordship Immanuel Bushu named the building “St Joseph’s Centre”, dedicating it to St Joseph. In His Homily, Bishop Bushu said “we live now in a lot of doubts and in evil times (circular world) which hinders us from seeing things beyond. We cannot see well and do the things of Christ because we are limited to only material things”.
stone for the CMA National Secretariat
He added that there can be no foundation laid than that of Jesus Christ. He said God is the General Overseer of the land and the structure to be constructed. “We are God’s people and we cannot but call on God to be with us and to help us build and take care of this house using it for the right purpose for which it is built. We must be aware of God’s presence in this place” he said
Bishop Bushu told Christians not to allow themselves to be used by the devil because that is a blow and a disaster to Christianity and their belief in Christ. “Let us all grow and be holy like Jesus Christ himself. The building we want to construct will be a gate of heaven because it is here that the CMA and the spiritual progress of its members will be crafted out and promoted”, he stated.
According to the National president of CMA, Okie Johnson Ndoh, “I am overwhelmed and filled with tears of joy. It was like a dream when we came up with this project barely a year ago and for us to be where we are today, it’s just by the grace of God”.
With an estimated budget of CFA Francs 300million for the execution of the project, the National president noted that the money has already been shared among the entire national dioceses. “So far, part of the money has been collected from the diocese of Yaoundé and we believe that if the others play their roles well, in less than no time, we shall be done and dusted with the entire project” Okie Johnson stated
The secretariat will be used for prayers, getting work documents together, holding of CMA meetings, and for reference in case of search of any particular information, documents/ archives of members etc.
The secretariat will also make available rooms for people to rest, halls for people to rent all in a bid to sustain the project.
The National President added that the socio-political unrest in the two English speaking regions of the country would in no way hinder the project from getting realized. He said the CMA in the heart of the crisis carried on a 9-day Novena for Peace in the country and the fruits of the peace have already started being visible. “This project of the CMA secretariat will help as part of our activities to pray for Peace”, the President averred.
Explaining what triggered his donation of the 2000 square meters piece of land to the CMA, His Lordship Immanuel Bushu said, it was a simple gesture to a powerful association in the Church who were willing and anxious to get something good. He encouraged the members to work always, be prayerful and be holy people.
“The Bishop has become our Landlord, our night and day watch on this piece of land. We promise the BAPEC Bishops and the entire Catholic family that we won’t let you down” the National president promised.
Talking on behalf of the Bishops of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province was the Bishop of the Kumba Diocese, his Lordship Agapitus Nfon who assured the CMA members of the full support and prayers of the BAPEC Bishops especially as the CMA indulges in this huge project.
“This secretariat will be open to touch the lives of many people. When you come here, you’ll meet Christ and hear about St Joseph who is a man of honour and we therefore expect that all Catholic men in Cameroon will be real examples of honour wherever they find themselves. Wherever you are, represent the Christ you carry. As catholic men, your faith should also help in the decision making process in finding lasting solutions to the crisis plaguing the South West and North West regions of the country. Play the role of St Joseph who protected the families of Nazareth. Remain United, no competition, see Christ in your faces, do your best in the group and St Joseph, man of honour will intercede for you”, the Bishop advised.
It should be noted that the project has been estimated for a period of 3 years to arrive the completion stage, but the president added that the time could be shorter if every diocese meets with its quarter.