Bamenda, Cameroon, Oct 20, 2023 / 14:30 pm
“Every parish” of an archdiocese in Cameroon is building a perpetual adoration chapel to celebrate a local year of the Eucharist observance, the prelate of the archdiocese announced this month.
Andrew Nkea Fuanya, the metropolitan archbishop of Bamenda in Cameroon, told attendees at a press conference at the Vatican on Oct. 12: “This year in my diocese is the year of the Eucharist.”
As a result, “every parish is building a chapel of perpetual adoration,” said Nkea, who is also one of the synod fathers at the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality this year. The website Catholic Hierarchy lists 46 parishes in the Archdiocese of Bamenda.
“And so perpetual adoration is going on in all the parishes,” he said. “It is incredible. I cannot explain it here, how much time the young people spend in time before the Blessed Sacrament.”
The archbishop described perpetual adoration as “an incredible experience.”
Father Stephen Nchardze Ewane, the diocesan youth chaplain of the Archdiocese of Bamenda, told CNA that adoration is “an opportunity for us to be able to connect to” Jesus.
“Jesus is the way we can get to the Father,” Ewane said.
During a recent youth conference, Ewane said, he “gave the young people what they have never had before. Something touched me and I began one hour of silent Eucharistic adoration every evening followed by songs of praise.”
“I could see young people yearning and many came to me and requested that I increase the adoration to two hours,” he said. “And they left so happy … They even requested that next year they should have a whole night in front of the Blessed Sacrament.”
“There is so much noise in the world and young people are so noisy listening to the voice of the world,” Ewane said. “Nobody listens to the voice of God that talks within them, the voice of the conscience.”
“Every parish makes sure they have a Eucharistic chapel and adoration,” he said. “In my parish it’s always full from 3 p.m., and the chapel is never empty without a youth sitting inside.”
“You see young people who are yearning to be friends of Jesus,” he added.
Father Anthony Bangsi, a parish priest of St. Gabriel’s Parish, Alamatu, said the diocese over the course of the year launched “several activities which the archbishop recommended for a fruitful celebration, among them a prayer which we are reciting every day during Mass, the prayer of the Eucharist.”
Bangsi said his parish is also constructing an adoration chapel and that it is “near completion.”
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“This year also we had [a] diocesan Eucharist congress where talks were given with Eucharistic adorations and Eucharistic celebrations,” he said. “We had the challenge of carrying those down to the grassroots so that everybody should understand very well who comes to us in the Eucharist.”
“This year, too, we are trying to understand what the Eucharist is all about — the source and summit of Christian life,” he continued. “We are also helping Christians who are in irregular situations to regularize their situations so that they can be able to share in this heavenly banquet which is the Eucharist.”
Father Etim Lambert, curate of Immaculate Conception in Ngomgham, said Christian testimonies during the Eucharistic congress have spoken for themselves.
“Christians this year should have Christ at the center of their lives,” he said. “Once they eventually have him at the center of their lives, the building of chapels is automatic. And those living in irregular situations that prevent them from receiving the Eucharist should regularize it.”
“Before, there were just a few adoration chapels in the Bamenda Archdiocese. But if you come there now you will be shocked with the number of chapels that have been built and are still under construction.”
Aseni Linda, a member of the archdiocese, told CNA that the year has been one “of deep spiritual nourishment.”
“We’ve received many talks concerning the Eucharist and also we are encouraged to visit the Lord present in the Eucharist,” she said. “All the parishes were instructed to build a permanent adoration chapel, which is already done in my parish.”
“It’s one of the most beautiful gifts we have received in the parish,” she said.
