Mission Statement of the Catholic University of Cameroon
 
The Catholic University of Cameroon (CATUC), Bamenda the highest Catholic institute of learning in the English-speaking sector of Cameroon. In her ten years of existence, both staff and students have had a great experience of evangelization with many getting baptized, making their First Holy Communion, getting confirmed, getting married, celebrating the sacraments, answering to religious life and priestly vocations, “and the good news is preached to the poor,” thanks to the facilities and services put in place by the Bishops and Board of Trustees to enhance the Catholic witness to the Good News in the Catholic University of Cameroon. 
 
In response to the situation of insecurity that has been orchestrated by the ongoing war in the English-speaking sector of Cameroon since 2016 that has claimed the lives of two teachers of the University, the abduction for ransoms of staff and students with thousands of other numerous killings, close to a hundred thousand displaced in the area, numerous rapes, stealing and torture in town, the need for a secured restaurant and dormitory facility to serve both staff and students has become pertinent and urgent. It will save the vulnerable, especially the young women from all sorts of trouble, contain a large portion of the university population, increase living standards, and limit the itch among Cameroonian students to get out of the country for good. The search for what to eat and where to live has landed many into trouble and the University needs help to provide a facility that would fulfill Our Lord’s injunction to “shelter the homeless,” and “give them something to eat yourselves.”

The esteem in which the Church holds Lawrence is seen in the fact that today’s celebration ranks as a feast. We know very little about his life. He is one of those whose martyrdom made a deep and lasting impression on the early Church. Celebration of his feast day spread rapidly.

He was a Roman deacon under Pope Saint Sixtus II. Four days after this pope was put to death, Lawrence and four clerics suffered martyrdom, probably during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian.

Legendary details of Lawrence's death were known to Damasus, Prudentius, Ambrose, and Augustine. The church built over his tomb became one of the seven principal churches in Rome and a favorite place for Roman pilgrimages.

A well-known legend has persisted from earliest times. As deacon in Rome, Lawrence was charged with the responsibility for the material goods of the Church, and the distribution of alms to the poor. When Lawrence knew he would be arrested like the pope, he sought out the poor, widows, and orphans of Rome and gave them all the money he had on hand, selling even the sacred vessels of the altar to increase the sum. When the prefect of Rome heard of this, he imagined that the Christians must have considerable treasure. He sent for Lawrence and said, “You Christians say we are cruel to you, but that is not what I have in mind. I am told that your priests offer in gold, that the sacred blood is received in silver cups, that you have golden candlesticks at your evening services. Now, your doctrine says you must render to Caesar what is his. Bring these treasures—the emperor needs them to maintain his forces. God does not cause money to be counted: He brought none of it into the world with him—only words. Give me the money, therefore, and be rich in words.”

Lawrence replied that the Church was indeed rich. “I will show you a valuable part. But give me time to set everything in order and make an inventory.” After three days he gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned, and widowed persons and put them in rows. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasure of the Church.”

The prefect was so angry he told Lawrence that he would indeed have his wish to die—but it would be by inches. He had a great gridiron prepared with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence’s body placed on it. After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he made his famous cheerful remark, “It is well done. Turn me over!”

Reflection

Once again we have a saint about whom almost nothing is known, yet one who has received extraordinary honor in the Church since the fourth century. Almost nothing—yet the greatest fact of his life is certain: He died for Christ. We who are hungry for details about the lives of the saints are again reminded that their holiness was after all, a total response to Christ, expressed perfectly by a death like this.

Saint Lawrence is a Patron Saint of:

Cooks
Deacons
Poor

~ Franciscan Media

Saint John Vianney's Story

A man with vision overcomes obstacles and performs deeds that seem impossible. John Vianney was a man with vision: He wanted to become a priest. But he had to overcome his meager formal schooling, which inadequately prepared him for seminary studies.

His failure to comprehend Latin lectures forced him to discontinue. But his vision of being a priest urged him to seek private tutoring. After a lengthy battle with the books, John was ordained.

Situations calling for “impossible” deeds followed him everywhere. As pastor of the parish at Ars, John encountered people who were indifferent and quite comfortable with their style of living. His vision led him through severe fasts and short nights of sleep.

With Catherine Lassagne and Benedicta Lardet, he established La Providence, a home for girls. Only a man of vision could have such trust that God would provide for the spiritual and material needs of all those who came to make La Providence their home.

His work as a confessor is John Vianney’s most remarkable accomplishment. In the winter months he was to spend 11 to 12 hours daily reconciling people with God. In the summer months this time was increased to 16 hours. Unless a man was dedicated to his vision of a priestly vocation, he could not have endured this giving of self day after day.

Many people look forward to retirement and taking it easy, doing the things they always wanted to do but never had the time. But John Vianney had no thoughts of retirement. As his fame spread, more hours were consumed in serving God’s people. Even the few hours he would allow himself for sleep were disturbed frequently by the devil.

Who, but a man with vision, could keep going with ever-increasing strength? In 1929, Pope Pius XI named him the patron of parish priests worldwide.

Reflection

Indifference toward religion, coupled with a love for material comfort, seem to be common signs of our times. A person from another planet observing us would not likely judge us to be pilgrim people, on our way to somewhere else. John Vianney on the other hand, was a man on a journey, with his goal before him at all times.

Saint John Vianney is the Patron Saint of:

Diocesan Priests
Parish Priests

~ Franciscan Media

Q. I have believed in St. Christopher and carried a medal of him for over 40 years. Now I have heard that the Catholic Church no longer considers him a saint. Is that true? I would be grateful for any information you can provide on this matter.

A. You can relax: Christopher is still recognized as a saint and as the patron of travelers. The Catholic Church has a worldwide calendar of saints, that is, people who are celebrated everywhere (for example, St. Mary, St. Joseph and Sts. Peter and Paul). A little more than half the days of the year have such a saint designated. There are also national or diocesan calendars. St. Juan Diego, who received the visions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531, is on the calendar in Mexico and in the United States but is not on the worldwide calendar. The same is true of St. Theodora Guerin, who came to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, with five Sisters of Providence in 1840 and was canonized in 2006.

St. Christopher was removed from the worldwide calendar in 1970 but is on some local calendars. He lived in modern-day Turkey and was martyred around 251 A.D. His name means “Christ-bearer,” and so the story arose much later in the West that he made his living by carrying people across a river. One day he carried a child who was extremely heavy. The child revealed that he was Christ and thus the saint was carrying the whole world on his shoulders. One estimate is that the Church formally recognizes over 10,000 saints. Only a few of them are on the worldwide calendar.

There is no need to give up your St. Christopher medal or your devotion to him.

Saint of the Day for July 14

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

(1656 - April 17, 1680)

Saint of the Day for July 6

Saint Maria Goretti
(October 16, 1890 - July 6, 1902)