Bishop Ruggieri ordains two men from the Diocese of Kumbo in Cameroon to the transitional diaconate

After years of preparation, two young men from the Diocese of Kumbo in Cameroon were ordained to the transitional diaconate by Bishop James Ruggieri on Saturday, June 21, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.

“The feeling is a joy beyond explanation. I cannot really explain how I feel. I feel very happy. I feel emotional. Every feeling is upon me, and I don’t which is which, but the good thing is that I am a deacon today by the grace of God,” said Deacon Ezekiel Yisi Banla. “I cannot stop thanking God for this great gift he has given to me and to the Church.”

“I can only thank God for the graces that he has bestowed on me today. All I can do is to render thanks to all those who came here to celebrate with us this gift that God has given us, not through our own merits but because God has deemed us fit and capable to empower us to carry this gift,” said Deacon Evans Bongwun-nyuy Yongyee.

Deacons Banla and Yongyee were ordained for the Diocese of Kumbo. They have, however, being doing their seminarian studies in the United States under the guidance of the Diocese of Portland. The two dioceses have had a close relationship for nearly a decade, with a dozen Cameroonian priests currently serving in Maine.

“I render immense thanks to Bishop George Nkuo, the bishop of the Diocese of Kumbo, for sending us here. We give immense thanks to our parents as well for accompanying us from birth to this moment,” said Deacon Yongyee.

As transitional deacons, both Deacon Yongyee and Deacon Banla anticipate becoming priests in the future. Nonetheless, Bishop Ruggieri emphasized in his homily that being ordained as deacons is much more than a step on that journey.

“It is a radical consecration of your life to Christ’s saving work. Like Jesus, who turned his face toward Jerusalem, your path now leads ever more clearly through the mystery of the cross in service of the world’s salvation,” the bishop said. “As you walk with Jesus and go before him in this new role as deacons, your time spent contemplating and imitating Christ the Servant will prepare you to stand at his altar as priests.”

The bishop said that from the earliest days of the Church, bishops and deacons have been united in a sacred bond of service and witness, and he emphasized that that bond is not merely symbolic.

“It is real. Evans and Ezekiel, know that you are a vital part of the mission entrusted to me here in the Diocese of Portland and to Bishop George in your home Diocese of Kumbo. Your works of charity, your preaching, your sacramental presence – all of it extends the love of the shepherd to the flock. When you accompany the grieving, when you serve the poor, when you preach the word of God, you are not simply doing the Church’s work. You are doing Christ’s work,” the bishop said.

During the ordination Mass, the pair resolved to discharge with humble charity the Office of the Diaconate, to proclaim the faith by word and deed according to the Gospel and the Church’s tradition, to embrace the celibate state, to guard and increase their spirit of prayer, including faithfully praying the Liturgy of the Hours, and to conform their manner of life always to the example of Christ, whose body and blood they will handle at the altar.

The two then prostrated themselves before the altar while the Litany of Saints was sung.

“The most moving part for me was when I laid down for the litany, and my favorite saints were called. I felt touched and I was really emotional there because I couldn't imagine the whole Church on earth and in heaven praying for me, honoring me. Who am I that the Church should pray for me? It really made me emotional,” said Deacon Yongyee.

Bishop Ruggieri then laid hands on each of them in silence after which he prayed the Prayer of Ordination, asking God to “send forth the Holy Spirit upon them, O Lord, we pray, that they may be strengthened by the gift of your sevenfold grace to carry out faithfully the work of the ministry.”

"When the bishop called the Holy Spirit, that was a transformative moment that moved me a lot. I could not control myself. I cried. I felt the power of God and all glory to God. I cannot thank God enough,” said Deacon Banla.

Now ordained, Deacon Banla and Deacon Yongyee were vested with stoles and dalmatics by fellow deacons, Luis Sanclemente and Peter Bernier.

The newly ordained deacons were then each presented with the Book of the Gospels by Bishop Ruggieri, who told them, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.”

Principal concelebrants of the Mass included Bishop Emeritus Robert Deeley and several priests from the Diocese of Portland, including Father Roland Berngeh and Father Anthanasius Wirsiy, both originally from Cameroon.

In recognition of the newly ordained deacons’ homeland, the Mass featured a colorful procession and presentation of the Lectionary, a tradition in Cameroon, with music provided by the Cameroon Community Choir from Baltimore, Maryland. Members of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception choir, under the direction of Dr. Bridgette Wargovich, also participated, adding to the beauty of the Mass.

Joyous music reverberated through the cathedral long after the recessional as the newly ordained deacons posed for pictures. There was then a procession into the cathedral’s Guild Hall, where a reception was held.

Meet the newly ordained deacons

Both Deacon Banla and Deacon Yongyee were raised in Catholic families in Cameroon. Deacon Banla credits the example of his grandmother for his faith, but also says the movie The Passion of Christ played a significant role in the discovery of vocation. He said he first watched it, with accompanying catechesis, when he was 10 years old and couldn’t get it out of his mind.

“I cried during that movie, especially at the crucifixion, the scourging and crucifixion. And I went back home determined to become another Jesus. So, I told my grandma that this is what I have witnessed today, and I’m so sad that Jesus was treated the way that he was treated. So, I am ready to grow up and become another Jesus,” he said.

Deacon Banla said his grandmother tried to explain to him that he could not become a second Jesus, something he didn’t understand at the time. However, after receiving the initiation sacraments and becoming an altar server, he became aware of the important role of the priest and knew that was where he was being called.

“In school, when the teacher asked us, the students, what do you want to become in the future? People would say all different professions, and I would always say that I want to become a priest. From there, they started calling me ‘father' at an early age,” he said.

Deacon Yongyee said that, growing up in the village of Roontong, he was involved in the church from a young age. He started playing the drums with the choir when he was just six years old.

“So, I used to go for practice and sing songs, and when I came back to the house, I would sing the songs that they practiced,” he said.

He remembers a priest visiting his elementary school and asking the students about their future professions. Attracted to the priest’s cassock and to the bananas and candies he would hand out to the children, Deacon Yongyee said he declared that he wanted to be a priest.

“I said, 'I want to wear what you are wearing and then share candies with other people.' He laughed and said, ‘You don’t know what you’re asking for,’ but he told my parents about it,” Deacon Yongyee recalled.

Deacon Yongyee said that he started to feel drawn to the Mass. After attending, he would go home and re-create it, climbing up on a chair to represent the elevated altar.

“I would stand there and mimic the priest celebrating Mass,” he said.

When he reached high school age, he said he had made up his mind to pursue the priesthood. An only child, it was suggested that he first stay with the priest at the rectory to get accustomed to being away from home. He then entered the seminary.

Deacon Banla and Deacon Yongyee said they never expected to leave Cameroon to study in the United States, and while they both said the transition was difficult at first, they now have both found the experience to be valuable.

“You have to have some trust that you are going to meet good people, and that is the experience I’ve had in Maine. I’ve met wonderful people in Maine,” said Deacon Yongyee.

“I’m happy it happened the way it did because I’ve learned a lot,” said Deacon Banla. “I think it will help me in my ministry and as a person.”

If their formation continues to progress, once they are ordained to the priesthood, they will serve in the Diocese of Portland for at least four years before returning to Cameroon.

Photos by Cindy Russell Photography