Eucharist stolen and dumped at roadside in Misaje

Inhabitants of Misaje Town, in the Northwest Region, on November 26, watched in amazement, the Eucharist (Body of Christ) that was apparently stolen and dumped at the roadside by unidentified persons.

According to sources, some unidentified men broke into the Misaje Catholic Church, destroyed the Tabernacle and stole the Host, some communion, Ciborium and pyx and vanished into thin air on August 31, 2014. Within the Christendom, this was interpreted as an abomination.

The Parish Priest of Misaje then organised a Requiem Mass on that same day, which many Catholic Christians described as “A Black Saturday” in Misaje. Christians who attended the Mass were clad in black and other mourning paraphernalia.

Prior to discovering the Host, on November 26, the Parish Priest of Misaje and Christians had suggested that some prayers should be said to cleanse the area from such an abomination. An Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and deliverance prayer sessions were organised in the Church.

Some prominent Catholic Exorcist Priests and Catholic Charismatic Prayer-Warriors around the Kumbo Diocese were invited. Stories about the impact of the Adoration and prayer sessions on Catholics and non-Catholics were told all over Misaje and beyond.

During the Mass and the subsequent prayer sessions, the Christians prayed to God to forgive the bandits and touch them in a special way to return the stolen items to the Church.

It was after these numerous prayer sessions that the Host, the Ciborium and the pyx were all found, three months after. The population of Misaje remain astonished to find the stolen items in a neighbourhood that is mostly inhabited by Moslems. After the discovery, the Parish Priest of Misaje immediately alerted the Bishop of Kumbo, His Lordship, George Nkou, on the matter.

After informing the Bishop and receiving directives, the Parish Priest of Misaje, assisted by the Parish Priest of Nkambe Town and some Christians, said solemn prayers and, in a sombre procession, carried the Holy Eucharist back to the Church, where a solemn Requiem Mass was conducted.

According to Rev. Fr. Andrew Ngah, the last step expected from the bandits is for them to openly confess their act and ask for God’s pardon.

It should be noted that bandits in Misaje are gradually shifting their attention away from cattle rustling and targeting the Church.