World Day of Prayer for Creation: A divine responsibility in Cameroon

Fr Innocent and children at fishery

Source: Missio

September 1 is the World Day of Prayer for Creation. In honour of this day Missio is sharing the story of Fr Innocent, a Mill Hill Missionary (St Joseph's Missionary Society) and the Mill Hill Superior in Cameroon - the first Cameroonian to be appointed to the role. His mission has been inspired and sustained by Laudato Si'.

Seeing the degradation and harm done to our precious planet, Fr Innocent has worked tirelessly both to campaign on climate change and to take action to halt its devastating effects in his own diocese.

Fr Innocent's passion for Jesus, and for his people, continues to inspire his Parish community to care for our world and clean up our pollution. In doing so, he has also created food gardens which help nourish the many people who need immediate help in Bamenda.

10,000 plastic bottles

Fr Innocent is no stranger to rolling up his sleeves and getting stuck in. He constructed the community garden using plastic bottles he collected on the tenth anniversary of his ordination to the Priesthood. He previously told us:

"I decided to start a project dubbed '3,650 plastics at 10'. I wanted to pick 3,650 plastic bottles - one for each day of my Priesthood - so that we can free our environment from littering and all the plastic bottles which are around."

But he soon realised the goal was far too easy to reach, as over 10,000 waste plastic bottles flooded into his collection. Seeing the mountain of rubbish which so effortlessly mounts up only made Fr Innocent more passionate about the environment. He told ACI Africa:

"There is a lot of what I could call ignorance among the people of Cameroon. The country has a good amount of tree cover. There are lots of heavy forests and the people have food. They therefore take so much for granted. Cameroon is a land of plenty. And even though we have started experiencing changing weather patterns, the people simply can't piece everything together. They cut trees to build houses and never care to plant other trees. They think that the forests will be here forever."

'The cry of the earth, the cry of the poor'

Fr Innocent has met this lack of education head on and is raising awareness wherever and however he can. The community garden grows collard greens, tomatoes, spinach, watermelons, cucumber, and maize. It is food that is used for meals in the Parish and given to people in the community who are in real need.

He said that parishioners, as well as the community around the Parish, are starting to appreciate his work by asking for tips on how to set up the beautiful gardens in their homes.

Laudato Si' in action

3560 at 10 is now a thriving community both in real life and online. He recently sent Missio videos of the community garden, (see links below) where they are reusing plastic sacks to grow potatoes and encouraging planting avocado trees as part of a 50,000 tree nursery in Bambili village, Bamenda.

Fr Innocent is passionate about sharing his message and countering the lack of education which is contributing to his beloved home's pollution problems. He is now opening up the gardens and the fisheries so people can come and learn. Recently he held a session explaining to local children about the fisheries, and how important it is to recycle and clear footage. Fr Innocent told the children:

"We assembled plastic bags from around, that have been used and dumped. Instead of leaving the environment dirty, we have reused those bags to make this fishpond. So, you should never litter things like this at home. Things like cement bags, plastics, papers, plastic bottles, you see I use them all. I produced tables from plastic bottles... what will you be doing? Who can produce something with plastics?"

Working together for the planet and its people

Fr Innocent's tireless commitment to stewarding God's earth and protecting the people and wildlife on it puts fresh heart into the most jaded climate campaigner. He embodies the Church in action and is such an example of what mission can achieve in the face of setbacks and overwhelming opposition. And we in England and Wales can learn so much from him, and his amazing and committed community.

Pray for Fr Innocent's mission and for all missionaries who work to combat climate change and its effects on poor communities.

LINKS

Prayers for the environment and links to Laudato Si' at: www.missio.org.uk/pray-for-the-world
Support missionaries like Fr Innocent in their work by donating to Missio: www.missio.org.uk/donate
For over 80 years Missio and the Mill Hill Missionaries have been working in partnership through the Red Box. Find out more at www.missio.org.uk/about-redbox/

Fr Innocent's videos:

Planting potatoes: www.youtube.com/shorts/aVKzyHBPmXU

Avocado trees: https://youtube.com/shorts/3adp2J5oUCc

The Fishpond: https://youtu.be/TDZqvQf9D5k