By Sr. Emma de Guzman, ICM Okola, Cameroun, Africa

When I arrived here and began working in the 70’s only men were allowed to be catechists; I initiated the revolutionary idea that women could become catechists too, especially for children and the young. As a result, there are now more than 2,000 mother catechists and they are doing the work well. We have to be patient and wait until the men (including parish priest) accepted the idea that women could also preach the Word of God in a society where women are not allowed to speak in public. We still have a long way to go; but the idea is gaining ground: everything is GRACE and the Holy Spirit blows where it wills even if the parish priest and the chief catechist are opposed to it!

The diocese where I was working before is so immense they divided it into two. Okola is now in the diocese of Obala.

Obala is not yet two years old and our new bishop is asking for more missionaries.

We have ten parishes that have no parish priests and of our 37 parishes, only 15 parishes have sisters. The Bishop has been launching an appeal to all congregations and we are taking this chance of Misyon that some Filipino congregations of sisters or lay people might be interested to work in Cameroun as nurses, teachers, and pastoral workers. PLEASE COME! The diocese of OBALA needs you!

Our Bishop’s address:

Monseigneur JEROME OWONO MIMBOE

Diocese of OBALA

BP 24

OBALA, CAMEROUN, AFRICA