- Celebration of the Year of Mercy
The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, declared by Pope Francis in 2015, which was to run from 8 December 2015 to November 2016, was celebrated throughout the Archdiocese at all the different levels of evangelization: Small Christian Community, Mission Stations, Parish, and at the Archdiocesan level. There were discussions about the mercy of God and ways of benefitting from God’s mercy, particularly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Door of Mercy was created at the Cathedral in Big Mankon, Bamenda, and a Door of Mercy in each of the Deaneries of the parishes of the Archdiocese.
- The Appointment of a New Archbishop for Bamenda/Handing of the Crosier by the Former Archbishop
It was on Monday, 29 December 2019 that Archbishop Cornelius Esua informed the Christians of Bamenda that the Holy Father had decided on his successor, in the person of Rt. Rev. Andrew Nkea, formerly the Bishop of Mamfe. With the announcement, preparations started off to welcome the new Archbishop to Bamenda.
On Saturday, 22 February 2020, in the context of a beautifully animated, massively attended and solemn Holy Mass, with the Apostolic Nuncio for Cameroon, Archbishop Julio Murat as Chief Celebrant, Archbishop Andrew Nkea took Canonical Possession of the Metropolitan See of Bamenda. Both State and Religious dignitaries from within and without Cameroon were part of the celebration. The Lay Faithful and the Archdiocesan Priests and Religious gave their new Archbishop a hilarious reception.
In the context of his speech on this day of the taking of Canonical Possession, he immediately appointed some of his close collaborators: Fr. William Neba as the Vicar General, Mgr. Patrick Lafon as Episcopal Vicar for the Clergy, Fr. Richard Njoroge, MHM, Vicar for Religious, and Fr. Michael Kintang Episcopal Vicar for the Laity.
- Visit of the Cardinal Secretary of State of the Vatican, Pietro Cardinal Parolin/Reception of the Pallium
The Cardinal Secretary of State of the Vatican, Pietro Cardinal Parollin paid a visit to Bamenda on 30 and 31 January 2021 in the context of tense socio-political atmosphere in the English-Speaking Regions of Cameroon. He got to Bamenda on 30 January 2021, and had the opportunity to meet with the priests of the Archdiocese of Bamenda, and representative priests from the suffragran dioceses: Buea, Kumbo, Mamfe and Kumba. In the context of the meeting with the priests, he was addressed, on behalf of the Clergy, by the then Vicar for Clergy, Fr. Patrick Lafon, after which the Cardinal gave a fitting response to the anxieties of the priests, encouraging them to remain faithful to their vocation as priests amidst the uncertainties wrought by the armed conflict in the North West and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, in which some of the priests had become victims.
On Sunday, 31 January, the Cardinal Secretary of State celebrated Holy Mass at the Centenary Piazza with a great number of priests from the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda and a mammoth crowd of the Faithful of the Archdiocese of Bamenda. The Cardinal gave an air of hope to the Faithful living in deplorable conditions, witnessing grievous inhuman assaults to the dignity of life. He assured the Faithful that God was very close to them in their grief, and theirs was to remain true to Him in their Christian calling.
In the context of the Eucharistic Celebration, the Archbishop of Bamenda, Rt. Rev. Andrew Nkea, received the Pallium from the Cardinal Secretary of State.
- Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Creation of the Archdiocese of Bamenda
On Tuesday, 13 August 2019, Archbishop Cornelius Esua issued a communique to all the Faithful, announcing the Golden Jubilee of the erection of the Diocese of Bamenda. A Steering Committee, with Fr. William Neba, as the Chairperson, was created to prepare, organize and coordinate the celebrations. The celebrations were scheduled to run from Friday, 08 November 2019 to Sunday, 08 November 2020. The celebration had as theme: “Living the Faith in Truth and Charity.” These words seem to have been the guiding force of the Bishops of the Diocese since its erection, for “Truth” has been the central element of the Coat of Arms and Motto of the first two Archbishops, as well as the second Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda: “The Truth shall set you free” (Archbishop Paul Verdzekov); “Your Word is Truth” (Archbishop Cornelius Esua); “Consecrate them in the Truth” (Bishop Michael Bibi); and “In Spirit and in Truth (Archbishop Andrew Nkea”.
The Mass of the launching of the Golden Jubilee celebration on 08 November 2019 was heavily attended, and Christians were educated on the entire programme, the expectations and justifications for the celebrations. The Jubilee was then celebrated at Small Christian Community level, Mission Station level and Parish level before the outbreak of the deadly Corona Virus which interrupted Deanery celebrations and celebrations for Church Action Groups form March 2020.
Hence, the events marking the celebrations of the fifty years of the erection of the Diocese of Bamenda that started on 8 November 2019 by Archbishop Cornelius F. Esua continued with Archbishop Nkea chairing the major events. However, the established programme was readjusted because of the outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic. For example, the Jubilee for men, initially scheduled for 19 March 2020 was finally celebrated on 28 August 2020, memorial of St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the finest scholars of the Church. During that Mass, Archbishop Nkea dedicated some 200 men into the Catholic Men Association (CMA), Cameroon. He invited them to be exemplary Christians, avoiding sins like adultery, violence against their spouses and confiscation of family wealth in the name of succession. The Archbishop also called for peace in the two Anglophone Regions of Cameroon.
Pilgrimages were encouraged at the level of Parishes and Deaneries. For example, Christians of St. Paul’s Quasi Parish, Ntahkekah, Nkwen, on 03 October 2020, organized a pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Parish, Bambui, the mother Parish of Bambui Deanery.
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