HONG KONG (SE): In a vibrant celebration of the universality of the Church, Reverend Stéphane Tchanko Ngalamo of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary [CICM] was ordained to the priesthood on July 4 at the Basilica of Mary Queen of Apostles in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Reflecting the vitality of the Church in Africa, Father Ngalamo was ordained alongside 14 other candidates from various religious congregations and the Archdiocese of Yaoundé.
The Mass of Ordination was presided over by Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt, apostolic nuncio to Cameroon. At the start of the liturgy, Archbishop Bettencourt thanked the families whose love, faith and perseverance had nurtured these vocations over many years. He also imparted the Apostolic Blessing to all present.
A delegation from Hong Kong travelled to Cameroon to witness the joyous occasion. Led by Father Moses Ngai, parish priest of St. Teresa’s Church, Kowloon, and Deacon John Siu, the group represented the parish community where Father Ngalamo has been serving during his pastoral placement.
The sacred liturgy reached its high point with the Laying on of Hands and the Prayer of Ordination by Archbishop Bettencourt, joined by the concelebrating bishops and priests. Concluding the celebration, the archbishop urged the faithful to keep the newly ordained priests in their prayers, asking God to sustain them as they began their priestly ministry.
Speaking to the Sunday Examiner after the ordination, Father Ngalamo reflected with gratitude on the journey that had led him to the priesthood.
“It was a blessing to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders in my homeland, surrounded by my family and the community that first nurtured my vocation,” he said. “Having both my Cameroonian family and my church family from Hong Kong present made this grace-filled day even more meaningful. It was the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream.”
The newly ordained priest attributed his vocation to the strong foundation of faith laid by his family. Raised in a devout Catholic household with seven siblings, he was inspired from an early age, particularly by his mother. At the age of eight, he began serving as an altar server—a ministry he faithfully continued for 14 years. Those years at the altar gradually nurtured within him a desire to dedicate his life to God as a missionary priest.
After completing secondary school and studying psychology for two years, he entered the CICM. He studied philosophy in Cameroon before making his first religious profession in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2018. He later completed his theological studies and, inspired by the congregation’s missionary charism, continued his formation by studying English in Manila, Philippines.
In 2023, he was assigned to Hong Kong, where he undertook intensive Cantonese studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong before beginning pastoral ministry at St. Teresa’s Church.
The Hong Kong delegation arrived in Yaoundé on June 29 after a day-long journey. During the days leading up to the ordination, they visited places that had shaped Father Ngalamo’s vocation, including a CICM community, his former philosophy seminary, the cathedral in Yaoundé, and the Catholic University of Central Africa, where they met its spiritual director. They also visited the National Museum to gain a deeper appreciation of Cameroonian culture.
On June 29 and 30, Father Moses celebrated Mass in Cantonese at the CICM seminary, with Deacon Ngalamo assisting—his final liturgical service as a deacon before ordination.
The delegation also participated in Father Ngalamo’s Mass of Thanksgiving on July 5 at All Saints Parish, Oyack, in Mbalmayo.
Reflecting on the celebrations, Deacon Siu was deeply impressed by the joyful participation of the Cameroonian faithful, especially their enthusiastic singing and liturgical responses.
He observed that Catholics in Hong Kong are generally more reserved and often leave the responses to the choir, but stressed that such differences reflect cultural temperament rather than depth of faith. “What truly matters,” he said, “is participating in the liturgy with attentive hearts that draw people closer to God.”
Seeing 15 deacons ordained together also left a deep impression on him. Recalling a conversation with a seminarian in Yaoundé, Deacon Siu said, “God calls many young people every day. We are simply grateful that the youth of Cameroon are willing to respond.”
He invited the faithful in Hong Kong to pray that more young people would have the courage to answer God’s call, noting that the invitation is always extended, but the response ultimately belongs to each individual.
Father Ngalamo is currently spending time with his family in Cameroon before returning to Hong Kong in September to continue his pastoral ministry.
“Please keep me in your prayers as I prepare for this next step in my priestly ministry,” he requested.
