Four Ordinations, Eight Priests, One Message: Called to Serve with Humility and Love
Between 18 June and 29 June, the Mill Hill family in Cameroon experienced an extraordinary season of grace and celebration as eight new priests were ordained in four different parishes, in the presence of three bishops, family members, friends, parishioners, missionaries, and well-wishers from Cameroon and around the world.
Four ordinations. Eight new priests. Different communities, different stories, and different journeys but one message echoed throughout: the priesthood is a call to serve God and His people with humility, love, and faithfulness.
The celebrations began on 18 June in Bafmeng, where two sons of the parish, Fr. Dionysius Akong Teh, MHM, and Fr. Bonaventure Achia, MHM, were ordained to the priesthood. It was a colourful and joyful celebration presided over by Archbishop Andrew Nkea.
Despite difficult road conditions and security challenges, people from different parts of Cameroon and beyond braved the difficulties to be present for the historic celebration. The open-air Mass brought together a community united by faith, gratitude, and joy as they witnessed two of their sons answer God’s call to missionary priesthood.
The following day, 19 June, the celebration continued at Fundong Parish, where three more young men were ordained by Archbishop Andrew Nkea: Cyril Munang of Fundong Parish, Neville Aseh of Ilung Parish, and Evarestus Wainkem of Fanatui Parish.
Parishioners, family members, friends, and relatives gathered to witness their sons being raised to the order of priesthood. For these communities, the occasion was more than an ordination; it was the fulfilment of years of prayer, sacrifice, formation, and hope.
In his message to the newly ordained priests, Archbishop Nkea reminded them that priesthood is fundamentally a vocation to servant leadership. He encouraged them to remain faithful ministers of God’s mercy and to remember that, in all they do, glory and honour must be given to God rather than to themselves.
The days that followed the Fundong ordination tested the courage and resilience of the Mill Hill family. Some priests, brothers, and sisters were kidnapped in the aftermath of the celebration. This painful experience brought anxiety and concern to the missionary community and to many who had gathered for the ordinations.
Yet, despite the difficult circumstances, the spirit of the celebration was not extinguished.
The Mill Hill family remained determined to accompany the newly ordained priests and to celebrate their first Masses. The experience became a powerful reminder that missionary life sometimes demands courage in the face of uncertainty. Rather than allowing fear to have the final word, the community chose solidarity, prayer, and continued service.
With faith and determination, the journey continued.
The Mill Hill family travelled southwards to Kumba-Mbeng Parish, where another historic celebration awaited.
On 27 June, Derrick Akawumg was ordained by Bishop Agapitus Fon, Bishop of Kumba. This was a particularly significant celebration because it was the first ordination to take place in Kumba-Mbeng Parish.
People from all walks of life came out in large numbers to witness this historic moment and celebrate one of their own being called to the priesthood.
Once again, the message was clear: priesthood is a call to serve. A priest is called not to live for himself but to give himself generously to God and to His people.
Following Fr. Derrick’s first Mass, the Mill Hill family continued its journey to Bafoussam for the final ordination celebration.
On 29 June, history was made in the Francophone zone of Cameroon as the Mill Hill Missionaries celebrated their first-ever ordination in this part of the country and in the French language.
Two candidates, Noé Leroy Fobasso, a son of Babajou, and Parfait Fomo Wirngo, from Kumbo, joined other deacons and acolytes from the Diocese of Bafoussam for the celebration. They were ordained by Bishop Paul Lontsié-Keuné, Bishop of Bafoussam.
The celebration marked a significant milestone for the Mill Hill Missionaries in Cameroon. It was not only the ordination of two new priests but also a sign of the missionary presence reaching across linguistic, cultural, and geographical boundaries.
Here too, the message remained unchanged: the newly ordained are called to become ministers of God’s love, servants of His people, and witnesses of Christian values in society.
One Message, One Mission
When the final celebration came to an end, the Mill Hill family could look back with immense gratitude. Four ordinations, eight new priests, three bishops, and countless communities had come together in one extraordinary journey of faith.
The circumstances were not always easy. There were difficult roads, security concerns, and the painful experience of the kidnapping of some members of the missionary family. Yet none of these challenges extinguished the community’s zeal to celebrate the gift of priestly vocations.
Instead, they revealed something deeper about missionary life: faith does not mean the absence of difficulties; it means continuing to serve with courage, hope, and trust in God despite them.
The locations and circumstances were different. The languages were different. The communities were different. Yet the message delivered at every ordination was remarkably the same: The priesthood is a call to serve.
It is a call to humility rather than prestige, sacrifice rather than comfort, love rather than self-interest, and faithfulness rather than recognition.
These eight new priests now begin a new chapter of their missionary journey. They carry with them the prayers of their families, the hopes of their parishes, the formation received from their missionaries, and the trust of the communities they will be called to serve.
As the Mill Hill family welcomes eight new brothers into the missionary priesthood, we give thanks to God for the gift of their vocations. May they remain faithful to the call they have received, generous in service, compassionate toward God’s people, courageous in difficult times, and humble in all they do.
May their priesthood always point beyond themselves to the One who called them.
To God be the glory and honour.
Innocent Akum Wefon, MHM
