Tabernacle Chris Waits via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).
Rev. Fr. Derek Che Choh, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Bamenda is calling for prayer and reparation after the Blessed Sacrament and a tabernacle containing the Eucharist was stolen from two parishes in the Njinikom Deanery in Cameroon’s North West Region.
On May 14, 2021, the Perpetual Adoration Chapel in Njinikom Parish was broken into by unknown individuals.
“It is with deep sorrow and grave sadness that I write to raise your awareness on some sacrilegious acts that have been perpetrated in our Archdiocese,” said Father Derek Che Choh, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Bamenda, in a July 14 letter. “In the flow of events, it happened that on May 14, 2021, precisely in Njinikom Parish, the Blessed Sacrament was stolen from the Perpetual Adoration Chapel.”
The priest said: “On Thursday, July 8, 2021, the same sacrilegious act was committed when in Christ the King Parish Fuli Kom, the Tabernacle was completely dug off the Church wall and taken away. All these offenses have taken place in the same Deanery, that is, Njinikom Deanery.”
Catholic teaching holds that the consecrated Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ. As such, the desecration of the greatest gift possessed by the Church, the Most Blessed Sacrament, is a very serious matter.
“These acts against the Blessed Sacrament are direct insults on the Persons of Our Blessed Redeemer, His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity,” said Fr. Derek Che Choh.
He said no feedback has been gotten on any of the abovementioned cases. He also asked parishioners to respond to the theft with acts of penance.
Letter from the Chancellor of Bamenda Archdiocese on theft in some parishes in Njinikom Deanery (c) Document
“Fathers, shall we continue to be silent and let men of the underworld play with what we hold so dear to our hearts? What we ourselves handle with such reverence and devotion, the August Sacrament of the Altar? It is on this note that we call on all Christians of Njinikom and Fuli Kom Parishes to offer serious reparatory prayers to atone for such blasphemies and sacrileges, with their pastors providing a program for that. We equally call on all the Christians of our Archdiocese to join in prayers so that we can lay our fingers on the issue at hand and know the truth about these mishaps, ”he said.
“Dear Father, with all these sad events starring at us, there is great need for us to be more vigilant in our parish premises especially in all churches where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.”
Some catholic faithful say it is difficult to understand the reasons behind the theft, but urge the perpetrators to come forward and return the tabernacle and Blessed Sacrament.
Rev. Fr. Derek Che Choh encouraged Catholic Christians to pray that the perpetrators of these acts repent and change their ways, and he St. Joseph to intercede for the parishes.
“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Ark of the Covenant and the First Tabernacle and St. Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, Patron of Our Archdiocese and Principal Patron of the Universal Church intercede for us in this regard,” he said in his letter to Reverend Fathers.
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