Douala Archbishop, His Grace Samuel Kleda on Saturday, December 6, 2014 ordained 14 priests, 13 for Douala Archdiocese, at the Douala SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in the presence of Douala Emeritus Archbishop His Eminence Cardinal Christian Tumi.
In his sermon at the highly attended Mass, Mgr. Kleda urged the newly ordained priests to desist from material things and be always present to preach the Gospel to Christians. He said the priesthood should not be a vocation in which so much interest is on money or personal interests, but should be a ministry in which Christ’s people are assembled and the Good News preached.
“The priesthood is not about having huge bank accounts and personal interests, but always being present to preach the Gospel to Christ’s flock,” Mgr. Kleda stressed.
He called on the newly ordained priests to offer their lives to God’s people by being by them at all times and not only by being distant servants. “Christ did not distant Himself from but died to save Man. That is what he did in Galilee when he said, ‘The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor, to bind up broken hearts and to free the captives.’ You must also therefore overcome the enormous priestly challenges and preach the Gospel for the common good,” Mgr. Kleda continued.
He explained that the Apostles, especially St. Paul, overcame all forms of temptations to preach the Good News to God’s people, pleasing God and not Man. He did not only lay emphasis on the need to preach the Gospel, but also entreated the new priests to sacrifice their lives for others. He called on Christians to pray for their priests and to help them to preach the Gospel as Christ demands.
The Ordination Mass, which the Douala Archdiocesan Choir animated, also witnessed the presence of some government authorities including South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai. Several Church movements also participated actively in the ordination Mass.
In a speech from the newly ordained priests’ representative, they thanked Douala Archbishop, Mgr. Samuel Kleda and Douala Emeritus Archbishop, Christian Cardinal Tumi, for helping them to realise their vocation of becoming priests. They also lauded the presence of their parents and Christians who assisted them throughout their priestly formation.
The 14 newly ordained priests were Frs. Alain Gervais Bekolo, Gaitan kaptue, Paul Biboum, Michel Albert Mbas, Dieudonné Mbassi Otele, Meinrad Pierre Joseph Hebga, Peter Ngantchop, Jean Pierre Ngompon, Jean Bernard Nwind, Albert Tchatchoua Nono, Dimitri Yiagueu, Achille Pandeu, Boniface Mbouzao and Antonio Spinelli.
