FIRST CAMEROONIAN MILL HILL MISSIONARY ORDAINED

The ordination of Rev. Father Elvis Berka Shudzeka of Ngomrin, Sop, took place this morning at the St Theresia's Cathedral, Kumbo. Christian Cardinal Tumi presided at the ordination ceremony and was assisted by Archbishop Esua, Bishop Immanuel Bushu of Yagoua, Father Maurice McGill, MHM, the Mill Hill Superior for Cameroon, and other Mill Hill Members from Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province. There was a large presence of Cameroonian Diocesan Priests. The ceremony was colourful.
Father Elvis Berka is the first Cameroonian to be ordained priest for the Mill Hill Missionary Society. He was born in Nkambe in 1973 into the family of Mr Yimbu Fidelis Shudzeka and Mrs Prudentia Wimum. He is the 6th of 8 children.
He did his secondary and High School in GHS Kumbo from 1988 - 1996. After High School he did a spiritual year in the Mill Hill Formation Centre in Foncha Street, Bayelle Parish from 1996 - 1997.
1997 - 2000 he studied Philosophy in Jinja, Uganda. He then moved to St Joseph's College, Mill Hill, London. In 2002 he took the Temporary Oath as a temporary member of St Joseph's Missionary Society. In the same year he was appointed to Pakistan for missionary experience, but did not go there due to a problem in getting a visa. He was appointed to Kotido Karamoja in North Uganda where he served until 2004. Then he moved to Nairobi, Kenya, to complete his study of Theology.
In December 2005 he took the perpetual Oath as a permanent member of St Joseph's Missionary society. He was ordained deacon on 14 January 2006 at Nairobi. In February 2006 he received his first appointment to Malakal in Sudan. He will take up that appointment when he is done with Thanksgiving Masses after his ordination today at St Theresia's Cathedral, Kumbo.
Addressing the large congregation that was present for the ordination, Fr Maurice McGill, the Mill Hill Superior for Cameroon, thanked all who have contributed in different ways to form Father Elvis for Missionary Service. He told the newly ordained missionary: "Fr. Elvis, you are invited to show the way to the students in formation and, thank God, there are a number of them, and to encourage the candidates who will come this year and those who will follow them in years to come". He invited the Mill Hill Students to stand up for all to see them - a good number of them!
Fr Elvis was invited to address the congregation. He did not think he had anything to add to all the beautiful things Fr Maurice had said. He thanked the people for coming to the celebration and appealed to all to pray for him. He said he had entered into a pact with God and could only succeed if he prayed a lot and needed others to pray also for him.

Robert Tanto