In St Mathias Parish our mission is to spread the faith to families by striving to live the faith through spiritual programs. In this way, we take the liturgy of the mass seriously and encourage our members to join church groups. Church members are encouraged to belong to a Small Christian Community (SCC), a church group and a Prayer Group
Events of the Pastoral Year
The Archdiocese of Bamenda sets up the Calendar year. This year, 2016, we have had the:
- Opening of the Year of Mercy
- Mass for the Cadets
- Celebration of Consecrated Life
- Ordinations of Priests
- Hosting of the Youth Deanery. Widikum Parish is home of the Seat of the Deanery comprising the Parishes of Njindom, Mbengwi, Bali, Batibo and Teze-Ngie. The tradition of the Archdiocese is that the oldest Parish in a given set of Parishes becomes the Seat.
Mass program
Daily masses: Monday to Saturday.
Time: 6.30 am
Where: Main mission and at the Convent of the Sisters Servants of Mary.
Sunday: We have four masses
Mass Times: 7 am and 9 am
Where: Masses held at four mission stations; some masses are held in classrooms
Mission Stations
We have fourteen missionary stations: Bifang, Echenbuji, Ambombo, Eka, Dinku, Oche, Olorunti, Egbeachu, Big Ambelle, Barambichang I, Barambichang II, Abeduh, Tiben Up, Tiben Down.
Events
- Catholic Education Week
- Marriage anniversaries
- Death and Birthday celebrations
Calendar
- Local church calendar
Feast Days: Lent, Advent, Christmas, Ordinary time
Sacraments
- Baptism
- Holy Eucharist
- Reconciliation
- Confirmation
- Matrimony and
- Anointing order
PERSONNEL
Priests (Pallotine Fathers)
- Marcel Emeribe (Parish Priest)
- Bartholomew Oti, Curate. Father Bartholomew attends to the Christians of the fourteen Outstations
- The above two Pallotine Priests took over the running of the St. Mathias Parish on 16th August 2013 and are the only two from their order in the archdiocese.
- Gilbert Fuka (not a Pallotine Father). Principal of St. Benedict Comprehensive High School
Catechists
We have fifteen catechists; fourteen of them serve in each of the fourteen Outstations. The main parish church has one full time catechist. He is assisted by Ma Julie Atah, the only lady catechist (retired).
Catechists of the mother church perform the duties of office clerk as well as the laundry of the holy vessels and priests’ vestments.
Catechists at our 0ut Stations work only on Sundays and on weekdays when they have to prepare catechumens for baptism and for the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation. There aren’t enough funds to hire full time catechists.
Teachers
Our teachers are fully involved in classroom teaching and the teaching of the Catholic religion to children beginning from Nursery 1 through Class Six. At the end of the final year, the children write the First School Leaving Certificate examination (FSLC), the Common Entrance Examination into secondary schools and an examination in Religion.
The examination in religious knowledge is set by the Archdiocese of Bamenda. This exam is written by children attending Catholic primary schools in the Archdiocese. It is intended to test their knowledge and understanding of Catholic doctrine.
The best of these pupils, those who have a perfect score, receive the Bishop’s scholarship. It is full tuition paid on behalf of pupils who made a perfect score in the religious knowledge examination and who have elected to attend any Catholic Secondary School in the Archdiocese.
We have Catholic nursery schools in Bifang and Widikum and primary schools in Widikum, Bifang and Ambombo, one of the mission stations in the hinterland villages.
Children also receive Holy Communion in their last year of primary school education