Jarosław Różański, L’œuvre des Missionnaires Oblats de Marie Immaculée polonais au Cameroun (1970-2010), Roma: Missionarii OMI 2021.
The systematic process of evangelization of Northern Cameroon began in 1946 with the arrival of sixteen French missionaries, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. For the first twenty years, they have made tremendous missionary effort in the area, covering almost 1/3 of the total territory of Cameroon. Since 1970 they were assisted by the Polish Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who gave new impetus to the work of evangelization.
The first group of Polish Oblates arrived to Guider on February 4, 1970. They were fathers: Tadeusz Krzeminski, Czeslaw Schubert, Joseph Leszczynski and Eugeniusz Jureczko. They were joined by two Polish Oblates born in France, working for several years in this region: Pawel Michalak and Felix Struzek, creating the so-called „Polish Group” led by Pawel Michalak as a superior. In the years 1971-1975 the number increased to 15 people, including two scholastics undertaking a missionary internship. In 1975, this small group of missionaries already served eight established mission stations and 215 Christian communities in the bush. Half of the missions, and as many as 63 communities in the bush, were founded by the Polish Oblates. There was approximately six thousand Catholics in the area covered by Polish missionaries. They baptized nearly three thousand people and the number of catechumens reached 4200 people.
The Delegation of the Polish Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Figuil was established on May 11, 1975, and was called „Figuil Delegation”. This new organized religious structure facilitated further dynamic performance. In 1978, the Polish Oblates baptized 1050 people, and received 6000 catechumens. In the nineties of the twentieth century Polish Oblates already served thirteen missions, reaching nearly five hundred Christian communities located in the bush. Despite the continuous strengthening of the Figuil Delegation missionary personnel, it remained in the range of thirty missionaries. Some of them had to leave Cameroon for health reasons. In the nineties of the twentieth century, Polish Oblates accounted for almost half of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Garoua. Since 1980 until today they also acted as the General Vicars of the diocese (Eugeniusz Jureczko, Jozef Leszczynski, Krzysztof Trociński).
In the area entrusted to the Polish Oblates, there were already three well-organized missions: Guider, Lam and Bidzar Gidar. A missionary from Guider also ministered to the Daba Country and to the Mandala Village. In the late eighties and early nineties, Polish Oblates took over four more missions outside the area assigned to them for the evangelization. Poli mission was taken over by Polish Oblates at the end of January 1982. In 1990, the Oblates ministered to the second mission in the Dowayo Country in Fignolé. They also served mission stations in Tapare area, where there was a large refugee camp for people from war-torn Chad. In June 1990, they took over another mission in Ndingtire, in the Alantika Mountains, and in 1988 Karna-Mbé mission in the Diocese of Ngaoundéré. It was their first mission outside the Archdiocese of Garoua. After the appointment of Bishop Eugeniusz Jureczko of Yokadouma Diocese (May 20, 1991), the Polish Oblates took over the mission in Salapoumbé in his diocese.
Polish Oblates did not limit themselves to the missions established before their arrival. The first institution founded from scratch by Polish Oblates, was in Figuil. The concrete foundations for the mission were laid in July 1973. In December 1974, four Polish Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Silesian settled down in Figuil. January 1, 1975 – during the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, the newly built church, surrounded by gathered crowds of the Gidars and representatives of other tribes, was consecrated. This building has become a perfect example of implementing inculturation in the religious architecture. The first priestly and religious vocations also arose in Figuil mission. This mission became the main Polish Oblate mission in northern Cameroon and the seat of the Polish Delegation. Another mission was founded by Polish Oblates in Bibémi. The area entrusted to the Polish Oblates in Bibemi lamidat covered approximately ten thousand square kilometers. The missionaries built chapels in many villages, including Hula and Mandjola, Paderme and Bere. The second mission founded by the Polish Oblates in Bibemi lamidat was in Boula Ibib.
The Poles also founded two missions in the lamidat of Rey Bouba, still today a kind of enclave on the territory of Cameroon, characterized by a fairly despotic rule of the local Muslim rulers, having fortified castle, private police and prison. In 1972, they founded the mission in Tcholliré, where they built solid houses for missionaries and nuns and church. The second Catholic mission founded by Poles in this lamidat was the mission in Madingrin.
The last mission founded by Polish Oblate missionaries in northern Cameroon was in Majo Oulo, at the foot of the Mandara Mountains. Moreover, Polish Oblates also established two outposts in the Diocese of Yokadouma: Garigombo – Ngoundi and the parish of Notre Dame de la Paix in Yokadouma.
In total, in the years 1970-2010 sixty nine Polish Oblates of Mary Immaculate was engaged in the missionary work in Cameroon.