SW News: With the aim of reanimating the belief in the Real Presence, the Archdiocese of Bamenda in Cameroon’s English-speaking region will initiate a Year of the Eucharist on November 20, the Solemnity of Christ the King.

In his pastoral letter Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya said, “The Year of the Eucharist shall run from 20 November 2022, Solemnity of Christ the King - 26 November 2023, Solemnity of Christ the King.” He said in the letter that when the Year of the Eucharist is launched, a well-prepared sermon on the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament will be delivered.

“After Mass there shall be the customary Corpus Christi Procession which should demonstrate the translation of our faith in the Church to the real-life setting of the world in our parishes,” said the top prelate. He added that all believers should recite the specially prepared prayer at the appropriate time during Mass and the Liturgy of the Word. He also issued pastoral guidelines regarding the celebration of this special year.

In his pastoral letter, the archbishop also called for the revival of the prayers before and after Communion, which he said were vanishing from parish communities, schools and colleges.

“The practice of keeping First Friday Devotion should be re-instituted and well-coordinated in all our Parishes,” he said, adding that “In this way, our Catholic teachers in both the primary and post-primary institutions will see how they can help the children to be part of this practice so that they may not be alien to this enriching devotion of the Church in the later years of their lives.”
He also urged parishes to have Perpetual Adoration chapels before the end of this year so that the faithful get a chance to come and adore the Lord any time they want to.