Bishop Agapitus Enuyehnyoh Nfon of Cameroon’s Kumba Catholic Diocese has called on the faithful of the Diocese to make love the defining identity of the diocesan Church, while praising the solidarity of Christians who have sustained the community through years of the Anglophone crisis.

In his homily during a Thanksgiving Mass marking the 10 years since the creation of Kumba Diocese, Bishop Nfon described the milestone as both a moment of thanksgiving and reflection on the spiritual journey of the local Church since its erection on 15 March 2016.

He said the Diocese was entrusted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, “love personified”, and has since been formed in what he repeatedly called the “school of love.”

“Today we are celebrating not just the 10th anniversary of our diocese but also our diocesan feast day… dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since March 15th 2016… our diocese was enrolled in the school of love,” the Cameroonian Catholic Bishop said during the Friday, June 12 Eucharistic celebration that was held at Sacred Heart Cathedral of Kumba Diocese.

He added that this formation does not concern only clergy or seminarians but the entire People of God. “We are all in that school of love.”

Bishop Nfon insisted that the identity of the Diocese must be rooted in the very nature of God.

“Another name for God is Love; therefore, we are called to be children of love,” he said, challenging the faithful to ensure that this identity is not merely symbolic but lived in daily relationships within families, parishes, and communities.

“In our diocese, we are called to evaluate how much we are practicing that love that Christ is showing us every day for these past 10 years,” he said.

He insisted that Christian life cannot be reduced to structures or external activity without inner transformation.

“We are therefore celebrating 10 years of the Lord’s favor… we are challenged to count our blessings always and give thanks to God.” the Local Ordinary of Kumba Diocese said.

Reflecting on the suffering and resilience experienced in the Diocese during the Anglophone crisis, which has affected pastoral life in the region since the Diocese’s creation, he emphasized that God’s presence has been constant.

“There was a time when about nine parishes were virtually closed… and many others were just functioning because the Priests were present. The Priest did not run away… I kept thanking God for them,” he said.

Bishop Nfon also highlighted the generosity of Christian families who opened their homes to internally displaced persons during the peak of the crisis, describing this as a powerful expression of Gospel love.

“In the peak period of the crisis, there was hardly any family that did not host an internally displaced person. That is a wonderful thing… that is what the heart of Jesus invites us to do,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader encouraged the faithful to examine not only external progress but also spiritual growth, saying, “Every individual… we are called to evaluate how much we have grown in practicing that love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

Bishop Nfon also reflected on the need for interior life in a rapidly changing and distracted world, warning against superficiality and loss of reflection.

“It is important that we listen to God in the reading of Sacred Scripture… and tell him our desires, our hopes, our joys and sufferings,” he said.

Despite challenges, Bishop Nfon highlighted significant pastoral and institutional growth since 2016, describing it as evidence of God’s continued blessing.

The Diocese has grown from 20 to 27 parishes, while diocesan Priests have increased from 40 to 77. The number of Seminarians has grown from 25 to over 60.

Religious life has also expanded, alongside Catholic schools, health facilities, and the establishment of a university institute and pastoral structures.

“We can only talk of what we see. But there are many other blessings that we do not see, especially spiritual and pastoral growth,” he said.

Bishop Nfon urged the faithful to remain united and committed to building a Church rooted in love, especially as the Diocese enters its second decade.

“As more Christian communities, as parishes, as a Diocese, how have we grown in imitating the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus?” he asked.

Bishop Nfon added, “Let us be messengers of hope, reconciliation, and peace. Let us allow ourselves to be conquered by Him. And we will be, in today’s world, bearers of love.”

Source: aciafrica