By Bertrand Etukeni Agbaw-Ebai, Boston, Massachusetts
The Bishop of Mamfe, His Lordship Andrew Nkea, has paid his first high profile visit to the Cameroonian community in the United States after his Episcopal ordination. Among other activities, he celebrated a Pontifical High Mass at St. Anne Church Salem, Boston. He also held high level talks with His Eminence Sean Cardinal O’Malleyof the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts.
Catholic Christians from the Cameroonian Community of the State of Massachusetts in Boston converged on the Logan International Airport on May, 10, 2014 to receive the first Cameroonian Bishop appointed by Pope Francis, Bishop Andrew Nkea, on his maiden international official visit to the Cameroonian community in the United States of America.
The former Chancellor of Mamfe Diocese, Rev. Fr. Maurice Agbaw-Ebai, Catholic Women Association, CWA, members, a stampeding crowd and curious White American on-lookers, were present at the airport when he alighted from a United Airlines of America plane. The jubilation did not only create an atmosphere of ecstasy but also drew the attention of the airport security.
The D-Day of the Bishop`s visits was the celebration of Holy Mass on May,11at St. Anne Catholic Church Salem, Boston, where Cameroonians of all ages came out and celebrated with the Bishop of Mamfe. Drawing inspiration from the day’s readings, the Bishop, who has been nickname the “Preaching Bishop”, held the congregation spellbound with his soul-touching homily.
Being the fourth Sunday of Easter, which was Good Shepherd Sunday, the Bishop encouraged his sheep to have faith and hope in Jesus Christ. He reawakened the zeal of the Cameroonian Community in the US with a clarion call to duty back home. As expectations grew to a crescendo, the Bishop added that every Christian is a sheep that follows Christ, the Good Shepherd, the fact that the image of the sheep might sound offensive to many, notwithstanding. The Bishop made known a new form of financial support for his diocese through a monthly commitment of $US 20 in the US by Christians, friends and benefactors of Mamfe Diocese. He humourously quipped he did not want to bring “Ekpe” into the Church. The Bishop commissioned Fr. Maurice Agbaw-Ebai to implement the “Church tax” in Boston for Mamfe Diocese.
The Cameroonian Community used the occasion to raise funds to support projects in Mamfe Diocese and pledged their unflinching and commitment to heed Bishop Nkea’s call to help him realise his pastoral mission of making Mamfe Diocese “Something More Beautiful For God”.The Bangwa community from where the Bishop hails, set the template during the fundraising with thousands of dollars, cheques and pledges, to the satisfaction of many. The newly created Boston CWA branch, the Manyu community under the umbrella of NOMA, ex-students associations like LESA, OPSANS, SOBANS, and BIROCOL, and individual family heads, all came out massively and supported diocesan projects in Mamfe.
Bishop Nkea meets Sean Cardinal O`Malley of Boston MA
The high point of the Bishop’s visit in Boston was an audience granted by His Eminence Sean Cardinal O`Malley of Boston MA on Wednesday, May 14 at the Holy Cross Cathedral Refectory. Cardinal O’Malley is the only North American in the Council of Cardinals which advises Pope Francis on reforms currently going on in the Roman Curia and the Vatican.
Though closed to the press, sources from the meeting said it was a very warm meeting that saw the establishment of a missionary cooperation plan between the Archdiocese of Boston and the Diocese of Mamfe in the areas of the academic formation of priests, sabbatical arrangements, support for pastoral projects and fidei donum opportunities.
Earlier that day, Bishop Nkea met the President of Boston College, the Very Rev. Fr. William Leahy, SJ. The meeting was also an opportunity for the Bishop of Mamfe to reinforce existing bonds between Mamfe Diocese and Boston College and opened up new vistas of collaboration and mutual support.
On Sunday, May 18, 2014, Bishop Nkea presided at two Masses at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church, a sister parish in Boston to Mamfe Diocese. Bishop Nkea’s US visit will also take him to Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Washington DC, Alabama and Dallas, with the singular desire to continue making Mamfe Diocese “Something More Beautiful For God!”