Assumption Day At Yaounde Orthodox Church

Christians of the St. Dimitri Orthodox Parish CORON-Mvog –Mbi have been encouraged to emulate the exemplary lifestyle of Mary the Mother of Jesus. The exaltation was at the fore of messages echoed across the national territory on the occasion of the assumption day.

The Christians who joined their counterparts of the Catholic faith nationwide to celebrate the feast, noted that the day is a very important one for Christians as it teaches them to be models of Mary in humility, typical of the life she led.

According to the Parish Priest,Father Jean Bessala, ‘‘Orthodox Christians celebrate this day as the day of dormition, to remember how the Virgin Mary ended her life on earth.

We consider her dormition as a calm sleep which precedes her resurrection.  For us Orthodox Christians it is testament of the transition of the Virgin Mary to heaven where she was received by angels who had already informed her of her sleep,’’ Father Bessala explained.

In his message to the congregation, the faithful were instructed to transmit the message and knowledge of the feast of assumption to their children so that posterity will remain faithful and obedient like the Holy Mother.

‘‘Even though her body disappeared, we are celebrating this feast today because Mary is a model for us Christians through her obedience to God. She served the Lord and is an example for us to emulate, an example of love because she loved humanity and left this as sample for us to follow,’’ Father Bessala noted.

At the St Dimitri Orthodox Parish Mvog-Mbi, just like every other parish across the region the Holy Mass was marked by praises and supplications as Christians were called to keep the faith, while not forgetting the sick, needy, travelers and others in their prayers.

The event further culminated in a thanksgiving and communion service as Mary was called upon to bless the worshippers while interceding on their behalf.