Gathered in Yaounde, Cameroon, from Sunday 7 September 2014 for their General Assembly, the friars of the Provincial Vicariate of Equatorial Africa have elected brother Jean-Paul KAMAHEU,OP as their new Vicar Provincial for a four year term.
The election took place on Tuesday 9 September 2014, and was immediately confirmed by brother Michel Lachenaud, Prior Provincial of France (the mother Province) who is taking part in the Assembly. Brother Jean-Paul has accepted his election. He succeeds brother Claver BOUNDJA (Congo-Brazzaville), who has completed six years as Vicar Provincial (a half term of two years from his predecessor, brother Maurice Billet, and full term of four years).
Brother Jean-Paul Kamaheu (Cameroon) is currently the Superior of Saint Dominic House, Yaounde, the formation house of the Vicariate. He is also the Director of the Institute of Theology and Pastoral for Religious (ITPR) of Yaounde.
Brother Jean- Paul was born 26th January 1974 in Bangang, Camroon. He completed his novitiate in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Vice-Province of St Augustine in West Africa, and made his First Profession on 4 October 1998 in Abidjan. He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 September 2005 in Douala, Cameroon. Brother Jean-Paul has just defended his Ph. D. in Philosophy.
The assembly elected also four brothers as Vicariate Councillors. There are : friars Justin NDEMA (Central African Republic), Bernard Didier NTAMAK (Cameroon), Brice-Aurlien NKOUKA and Ilitch EWOLO TANGO (Congo-Brazzaville). Brothers Justin and Ilitch belong to the community of Bangui, Central African Republic, while bothers Brice-Aurlien and Bernard belong to the convent of saint Joseph, Douala, Cameroun.
The Provincial Vicariate of Equatorial Africa consists of these three: Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville and Central African Republic. It is a growing Vicariate, able to become a Vice-Province in the future.
Congratulations to brother Jean-Paul and to the four councillors. We wish them all the best for their term.
Fr. Gabriel Samba, OP
(10 September 2014)