The Jakiri occasion took place in
2008 successfully on the same day the Bishop of Kumbo was rounding his pastoral
visit which started on a Thursday for Jakiri Parish. I was in Jakiri well in
time before the Holy Mass began with its main celebrant Bishop George Nkuo and
two other priests. The Eucharistic celebration which commenced a few minutes
after 9:00am on that Sunday was intercepted with Confirmation and Award of the
Papal blessings.
The Jakiri Church during that Eucharistic
celebration contained close to a thousand worshippers mostly young people on
that day. Really the number of children who received confirmation was great
coupled to many others present at the Holy Mass. From this anyone present at
that Mass could say with certainty that Jakiri Parish is one to be envied and
with a good future.
In his homily, the Bishop of
Kumbo cut a long story of admirers of Jakiri parish short thus: “if i bi bi na
father, i for like for be parish priest for Jakiri”
The Award of Papal blessings took
place within the Eucharistic celebration just before offertory. Bishop George
called on the Holy Spirit to come and be present at the award of the Papal
blessings thanking God for such an occasion and the whole congregation sang the
come holy spirit……
The thrilling experience which
cannot be left out in the story of such a Holy Mass here is the traditional
Bible, then Bread and wine processions.
In the same occasion, the
administration of Jakiri was represented by the Divisional officer. There was
also a traditional ruler (Fon of Nkar) as I was told who sat on the side facing
the altar with his cap on.
I am aware of the present Fon of
Tang village who removes his cap and does in church the same like all others
and always having the feeling everywhere that Fons emulate this. In all the things I appreciated Jakiri except
for this Fon with his cap on and not respecting standing or sitting when
necessary and also the long talk of Mr. Taku though good he did not know how to
make it short and it bored the congregation.
After the announcements, the
chances were given to four personalities to talk. The D.O for Jakiri, Dr. Ndi,
Mr. Taku, the Chairlady Jakiri Parish Council with the Bishop concluding.
In his talk, the present D.O. for
Jakiri thanked the Church authorities for inviting the administration. He
expressed much surprise that an administrator’s good work was recognized by the
Church and Papacy in Rome.
He reminded the people and the State not only to be looking at the work of the
administrator as that paid for but to also look at the good work they do out of
their routine work and recognize them too. To all other administrators present he
challenged them with the example of Jakiri quoting that the State and the
Church do the same thing in different ways but the case introduced in Jakiri
was exceptional – Collaboration in
building the Church and Market with the administration. He rounded his talk
challenging himself and other administrators to go out of their routine work
then emulate Mr. Muluh Taku.
Dr. Ndi thanked the whole
congregation and Jakiri parish. Appreciating the papal blessings awarded that
day and the building of the Jakiri Church; he told the congregation that apart
from their physical Church the builder constructed he has also built churches
in the way of helping young Cameroonians at home and abroad to make a living.
He commended seeing a brighter future for Jakiri parish from the mammoth crowd
of youths receiving confirmation and others present at Holy Mass. He was
surprised that that big Church unlike theirs at Foncha Street whose roof is supported by beams
from the inside is standing firm. He thanked once again the Jakiri people for
the good materials they provided for this big and firm house of God.
During Mr. Muluh Taku’s turn to
talk, he compared Jakiri when he was first posted there in 1975. He told the
people many of the good things everybody envies of Jakiri today started from
when the initiative to transfer the market from its former location then builds
the church and market. According to him Jakiri which many like today, when he
first came as D.O it was a very bad place. At the square of Jakiri at that time
a stranger could not dare even come and buy a drink and sit to drink. An
indigene will just slap him and cease that drink. There was not even a nice
building there compared to the many you have today. He did not make his story
short which bored the congregation but at the end made known to the
congregation how God used him that for which he was honoured.
The Chairlady of the Parish
Council read an addressed presented to the Bishop of Kumbo on the occasion of
his pastoral visit. From it one realizes that Jakiri from baptisms,
confirmations, marriages, and Christian numbers has recorded exceptional growth
in the past years.
The Bishop reassured the Jakiri
people that though the seat of the Diocese was in Kumbo, his home was Jakiri
and gave the final blessings.
Out of the Church, snapshots were
taken then gifts were presented to the Bishop from various church groups.
Present was also Christians from the Cameroon Baptist Convention who also
presented their gift to the Bishop and received his blessings. Their song
“unity in Christ….”, which they sang coming forward with their gift to the
Bishop and to received blessings and their participation at the occasion says
much about the cooperation spirit in Jakiri Municipality.
The occasion rose with animated
refreshment. The pastoral visit of the Bishop spiced and made the occasion
remarkable.
Coni T. Tawong
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