By Nchumbonga George Lekelefac
Bishop Peter Rogan, M.H.M. †Deceased, Bishop Emeritus of Buéa, Cameroon, Titular, Bishop of Nicius was the first bishop of Buea Diocese was appointed bishop on 18 April 1950, at 63 and he died on 1 December 1970, at 84 as Bishop Emeritus of Buéa, Cameroon. December 1, 2022, therefore marked the 52nd anniversary of his passing into glory. But who was Bishop Peter Rogan and what impact and immortal legacy did he leave for posterity?
Bishop Peter Rogan M.H.M. was born 10 August 1886 in Gibraltar, in the Vicariate Apostolic of Gibraltar, where the family was stationed, and his father served as a Professional Military man. He was the second son in a family of six children, five boys and one girl. His mother died at an early age leaving her husband alone to raise their six children. In this task, he was assisted by a saintly woman, Mrs. O’Callaghan, who worked for him as housekeeper. Captivatingly, Gibraltar is a rugged promontory in the province of Andalusia, Spain, about 6 miles in circumference. It is almost perpendicular walls rise to a height of 1396 feet. The town is on the west side; on the north a narrow isthmus (neutral ground) connects the fortress with the mainland of Spain. The great rock itself is the ancient Mount Calpe, which with Abyla (Ceuta) constituted the famous Pillars of Hercules. Spanish was his first language.
Young Peter Rogan joined the seminary to study for the missionary priesthood at the Mill Hill in London as was later ordained a Missionary.
On 25 July 1909, at 22, he was ordained Priest of St. Joseph’s Missionary Society of Mill Hill. On 26 June 1925, at 38, he was appointed Prefect of Prefecture of Buea, Cameroon.
On 15 March 1939, at 52, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Acmonia. On 15 March 1939, at 52, he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Buéa, Cameroon. On 18 June 1939, at 52, he was ordained Bishop Titular Bishop of Acmonia. The Principal Consecrator at his episcopal ordination was Bishop Patrick Collier †, the then Bishop of Ossory while the Principal Co-Consecrators were Bishop Thomas Keogh †, the then Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin and Bishop Patrick Lyons †, then then Bishop of Kilmore
On 18 April 1950, at 63, Bishop Rogan was appointed Bishop of Buéa, Cameroon by Pope Pius XII (Pope from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958) who raised Buea to a Diocese with Mgr. Peter Rogan as its first Bishop.
On 18 August 1961, at 75, he retired as Bishop of Buéa, Cameroon. On 18 August 1961, at 75, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Nicius. On 1 December 1970, at 84, he died as Bishop Emeritus of Buéa, Cameroon.
Bishop Rogan was the Principal Consecrator of Bishop Julius Joseph Willem Peeters, M.H.M. † (1962). He was the Principal Co-Consecrator of: 1) Bishop Joseph Brendan Whelan, C.S.Sp. † (1948); and Dominic Ignatius Cardinal Ekandem † (1954).
“From that time up to October 1, 1961, the date of West Cameroon Political Independence, Buea was a suffragan See of Onitsha Archdiocese in Nigeria.
With the independence and the reunification of Cameroon, Buea Diocese became a suffragan See of Yaounde Archdiocese till Bamenda was erected to a metropolitan See. (Buea Diocese website, https://bueadiocese.org/history-of-buea-diocese/)
He was a priest for 61 years and a bishop for 31 years.
His Episcopal Lineage / Apostolic Succession include: 1) Bishop Patrick Collier † (1928), Bishop of Ossory; 2) Archbishop Edward Joseph Byrne † (1920), Archbishop of Dublin; 3) Archbishop William Joseph Walsh † (1885), Archbishop of Dublin and so on.
Lasting legacies of Bishop Rogan
“Fr. Peter Rogan took over from Mgr. John Campling in 1925. The Christian population at that time stood at about 40,000 and the first mission to be opened under him was Baseng in 1926. The first Soppo Church turned into Cathedral started in 1927 and completed in 1928. Fr. Rogan championed the opening of schools in the parish centres. Then followed by the vernacular school system and by 1937 over 43 vernacular schools had been opened.
In 1938 the first Secondary School for boys in the Southern Cameroons was opened in Bonjongo against heavy opposition from the colonial government. It was transferred to Sasse the following year 1939 and named as St. Joseph’s College, Sasse. It was said that Bishop Rogan had great skills in architecture. The beautiful Sasse main block is said to have been his idea.
In the meantime, the faith was spreading, and missions were opened in Tiko in 1929, Okoyong in 1934, Fiango in 1936, Mbetta in 1937, Mbonge and Muyuka in 1943 and Tombel in 1947. Teacher training colleges and other Secondary Schools were opened.
Mgr. Rogan was committed to the training of the diocesan clergy. Thus, the Holy Family Junior Seminary was opened in 1947 and graduates from there were sent to Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, Nigeria for final training into the priesthood. The pioneer Diocesan Fathers were Aloysius Wankuy ordained in 1949, Lucas Atang 1956, James Toba, Ivo Ndichia and Henry Mesue ordained in 1958 and Clement Ndze ordained in 1960.” (Ibid.)
Bishop Rogan ordained the very first priest in English Speaking Cameroon in 1947 in the person of Fr. Aloysius Wankuy as we have already mentioned and greatly encouraged and promoted indigenous vocations to the priesthood. Here are some testimonies of Cardinal Tumi and Bishop Bushu.
On Monday, 26 October 2020 during an interview with Nchumbonga George Lekelefac and His Eminence Cardinal Christian Tumi, student of Cardinal Arinze in 1961 and 1962 at Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu, and pupil of Dr. Fonlon, he observed: “We all ran bare footed together with Bernard Fonlon. He was just like one of us. Very simple. We ran bare footed like our teacher. Yes, it was after teaching in Kikai that he went to the Seminary. We were told he went to the Seminary, in Nigeria, we did not know where that was. I was a small child. I think I was 7 years younger than him. But he was to us like our senior brother…. When he sent to the Seminary, I was in the primary school, but I saw him go. That faithful day he left us from Shisong and we were told he was going to be a priest. It was the first time I saw a seminarian go to the Seminary in Nigeria. The teachers told us he was going to become a priest…Of course, the first I saw later on in life: Father Aloysius Wankuy, but I saw him as a deacon in Soppo, because my sister was married to a man who was transferred to Buea from Bamenda. We went for Mass at Soppo and we were told after Mass that this man will soon be ordained a Priest, that, he was now a Deacon. I saw him and I remember, that in every house we entered, there was prayer first before any other thing. The first time he became a priest in Shisong. I still remember the words of Bishop Peter Rogan: “The sun is shining over Shisong.” That sun was the Ordination of Fr. Aloysius Wakuy. It was the First Ordination in English speaking. French Cameroon had already Priests…” (Nchumbonga Lekelefac, Prof. Dr. Bernard Fonlon Crusaded for Sainthood in Cameroon, Enugu, 2020; (Cf. Research Interview between Nchumbonga George Lekelefac with Cardinal Tumi on Dr. Prof. Fonlon, Douala, October 26, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGU6rzThU_Y).
Furthermore, in an interview by Walter Wilson Nana and Kevin Njomo with Bishop Emmanuel Bushu on May 6, 2013, Bishop Bushu observed: “We saw Fr. Aloysius Wankuy, the first West Cameroonian to become a priest. All our priests were white missionaries from Europe. There were no Africans, but these missionaries were closer to the people. They worked hard, staying faithful to the church’s teachings, offering the sacraments of the church and visiting homes. I saw them as carrying out selfless service to the people without a salary. They were happy without the salaries. They ran around and did many things and were involved physically.” It is therefore clear that Bishop Emmanuel Bushu also saw Bishop Rogan having participated at the ordination of Fr Wankuy in 1949.
Bishop Rogan recognized by Bishop Julius Joseph Willem Peeters, M.H.M. †
Bishop Jules Peeters took over from Bishop Rogan on August 24, 1962, when he was consecrated as the second Bishop of Buea. He made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and promotion of vocations to the indigenous priesthood by founding a Minor Seminary in 1964 which he named after his predecessor: Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary, Soppo, Buea, in the Southwest.
The Europeans are very used to naming and recognizing their icons. This is something we – Africans – really need to emulate in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda where many of our former bishops and highly distinguished laity like Prof. Dr. Bernard Fonlon and many others who are in the Lord have not been remembered nor recognized in the form of naming a school, university or erecting a monument to their recognition and remembrance. Bishop Julius Peeters named Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary after his predecessor, Bishop Rogan because of the tremendous influence he had in the promotion of vocations in the whole of West Cameroon. This recognition was done in 1964, barely two years after Bishop Jules Peeters took over service. Bishop Rogan who died on December 1, 1970, was able to be recognized while alive by his predecessor. We could try to emulate this example from Bishop Jules. In the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda, we have emeritus bishops like Bishop Emmanuel Bushu, Bishop Teke Lysinge, and Archbishop Cornelius Esua. When are they going to be recognized by a monument, foundation, or named after a school, institute? Or are we waiting to name or recognize them only when they have passed on? Why not do it as Bishop Jules Peeters did while Bishop Rogan was still alive. We need to urgently emulate this example of recognizing our own people before it is too late in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda for the time is now. We thank Bishop Rogan for his great service to the Diocese of Buea. May the gentle soul of Bishop Rogan continue to rest in peace. Amen.
Nchumbonga George Lekelefac, Doctorandus, University of Münster, Germany; Europe / USA Correspondent of the SUN Newspaper; Founder/ CEO of Nchumbonga Lekelefac Institute of Research, Documentation, Language and Culture, USA>