Our Lady from the Oblate Seminary in Yaoundé Apart from the travelling excitement what really thrilled me in Yaoundé was the Oblate Seminary there. At the moment it is home to some 70 scholastics who are studying Philosophy and Theology and are preparing themselves spiritually for priesthood in the Oblate Congregation. It is truly an international community with young men from Cameroun, Nigeria, Chad, and Namibia. What really uplifted me was finding out that most of them speak at least 4 or 5 languages. French is the university language and most of them had to learn French in order to be able to study. After completion of their course they will return to their home countries and they will not need French any more. I did admire them for their dedication and hard work put into their studies. They don’t ask: “Why do we need to learn the language that we won’t need in the future?” but they put so much heart into preparing themselves for the fulfilment of their dream to be Oblate priests. I would like to see young men in Australia or Europe willingly going to study theology in China knowing that they will not work there in the future.
The seminary itself is located in the area where other Catholics Orders have got their seminaries. I guess that there are at least four other formation houses next to each other. It makes the place a little religious village. What they share is the soccer field and it is such a popular place that each Order has got a designated day to play soccer. I liked seeing them enjoying the activity and each other company.
The Oblate Seminary has also go a little farm with some chickens and pigs plus a good size vegetable garden. The study load isn’t any problem for the boys to look after the animals and produce the ingredients used in the seminary kitchen. I always believe that physical work is as important as sophisticated reflections they write during the studies.
However the most memorable event was the Mass attended by the scholastics from all seminaries. There were around 300 young religious men and I can tell you that their singing was awesome. Each single person sang at the top of his voice. They had songs in French, English and God knows how many other languages and they knew the songs. What came to my mind during the Mass was that they weren’t simply singing hymns they were singing our Catholic faith. Their singing expressed their faith and love for Jesus. I also enjoyed the body involvement in the liturgy. During singing and some said prayers they were moving in the rhythm of prayers. It was so uplifting to see them praying with not only with words but with their bodies too. It kind of reminded me what I saw in Jerusalem at the Western Wall where Jews come and during their prayers they start their prayer movements.
The Mass was such a prayerful experience. I think that even a completely deaf and blind person would be able to detect the prayers as, believe me that the booklet in my hands was vibrating from the singing.
The seminary itself is located in the area where other Catholics Orders have got their seminaries. I guess that there are at least four other formation houses next to each other. It makes the place a little religious village. What they share is the soccer field and it is such a popular place that each Order has got a designated day to play soccer. I liked seeing them enjoying the activity and each other company.
The Oblate Seminary has also go a little farm with some chickens and pigs plus a good size vegetable garden. The study load isn’t any problem for the boys to look after the animals and produce the ingredients used in the seminary kitchen. I always believe that physical work is as important as sophisticated reflections they write during the studies.
However the most memorable event was the Mass attended by the scholastics from all seminaries. There were around 300 young religious men and I can tell you that their singing was awesome. Each single person sang at the top of his voice. They had songs in French, English and God knows how many other languages and they knew the songs. What came to my mind during the Mass was that they weren’t simply singing hymns they were singing our Catholic faith. Their singing expressed their faith and love for Jesus. I also enjoyed the body involvement in the liturgy. During singing and some said prayers they were moving in the rhythm of prayers. It was so uplifting to see them praying with not only with words but with their bodies too. It kind of reminded me what I saw in Jerusalem at the Western Wall where Jews come and during their prayers they start their prayer movements.
The Mass was such a prayerful experience. I think that even a completely deaf and blind person would be able to detect the prayers as, believe me that the booklet in my hands was vibrating from the singing.
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