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Counsellor, Lecturer in Catholic Social Teachings and Sports Coordinator, Priest FormatorFr. Peter Foleng, SD, was ordained Priest at the St. Theresia’s Cathedral Church Kumbo by the First residential bishop of Kumbo, now emeritus Archbishop of Bamenda, His Grace Cornelius FontemEsua. He was born of Michael Foleng and Elizabeth Mengwishu, both of late, at Achi-Bambili.
Education
He did elementary education at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School, Nstewhi from 1969 – 1975 and Government Primary School Mushongmuobu’, 1975 – 1976. From 1976 – 1981, he attended St. Augustine’s College, Nso. In October, 1981, he moved to Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary, Soppo – Buea where he obtained the GCE Ordinary and Advanced Levels. In September, 1985, he was admitted as a candidate for formation to the Catholic Priesthood at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Bambui. He was ordained transitional Deacon on 28th October 1992 and Priest on 16th April, 1993.
After his ordination he served the local church in various capacities including: 1993 – 1994: Teacher and Manager of Schools, Kumbo and Meluf Parishes and Parochial Vicar of St. Theresia’s Parish Kumbo. 1993 – 1996/ 2005 -2007: Served as Diocesan Coordinator of Mass Media Department, Kumbo. From June 1994 to June 1996 he served as Parish Priest and Manager of Schools, St. John the Baptist’s Parish, Elak-Oku Vicar Forane of Nkambe Deanery and Tatum Deanery from 1997 – 2003. Member of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Kumbo from 2005 – 2006. After his appointment as Principal of St. Rita’s Technical College, Nkambe in July 1996, and before he took up this assignment, he had to go to Kenya from July – November 1996, for short courses in Management and General Administration at the GilgilPolytechnique and CORAT AFRICA. He returned in November 1996 and took up residence in Nkambe to manage the Technical College until July 2005. During this same period, he also served as Chaplain to the Military and Forces of Law and Order in the Diocese of Kumbo from 1997 to 2005. From July 2005 – July 2006, he was in St. John the Baptist’s Quasi-parish Ngondzen, as Rector and Manager of Schools. From 2006 – 2007: Served as Principal of St. Augustine’s College, Kumbo. Served as the Chancellor of the Diocese of Kumbo from 2007 – 2008. Equally, served as Teacher and Chaplain in St. Peter’s College, Kumbo 2008 – 2009. From 2009 – 2010: Served as Parish Priest and Manager of Schools, in St. Kizito’s Parish, Melim – Kumbo. Also, as a visiting teacher to Government Bilingual High School, Kumbo, St. Francis College, Shisong and St. Christopher’s Catholic Evening School, Kumbo. Other functions held include various capacities at the Cameroon GCE Board: Liaison officer for Donga-Mantung from 1998 to 2005. He became an examiner for Ordinary Level Religious Studies from1998 – 2003, Assistant Chief Examiner (2003 – 2017); Chief Examiner from 2018 to 2020 and an Assessor from 2021 to 2023. Served as member of the Catholic Religious Studies Examination Board, Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province from 2005 – 2010. He was appointed Registrar of this Board in March 2017, an office he holds to date. Fr Foleng, did further studies, from 2010 – 2012, in Media Education at the University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland where he obtained a Master’s Degree. From 2012 – 2018 he was the Liaison Officer at the Vice Chancellor’s Office and Assistant Lecturer and the last year as School Officer at the School of Health and Medical Science in the Catholic University of Cameroon, CATUC Bamenda. From October 2018 to May 2020 he studied Psycho-Spiritual Therapy and Counselling at the Psycho-Spiritual Institute, Marist International University, Nairobi, Kenya and graduated with a Master’s Degree. Upon completion, he was appointed as a Permanent Formator and Teacher in St. Thomas Aquinas’ Major Seminary, Bambui in September 2020 where he teaches Pastoral Counselling and carries out one-to-one, group therapy dynamics and stress management and trauma healing.
