Growing Up Catholic.

As previously mentioned in my blog “Black Women in Tech” I am originally from West Africa, Cameroon, click on this link and the link below to read that blog if you haven’t as I will be releasing the part two very soon. (https://beingbruni.com/2023/01/23/black-women-in-tech/).

Born and raised by a single mom in Fiango, Kumba; I was introduced to a very religious catholic family. I was baptized in the Catholic Church as a baby and took my first holy communion  and confirmation at the ages of 8 and 10 respectively. This is the only religion I have ever really known and have practiced my whole life.

My father and his family are Presbyterian, and I remember when I will visit him, we will both attend different churches on Sundays and meet again at home. For some reason, I was never intrigued to attend church with him, or to see what it was like attending a presbyterian church or to find out how it differs from the Catholic Church, and that was because I grew up Catholic.

Now you may be asking “what does it mean to grow up Catholic?”. I started my pre education at the Presbyterian Nursery School that was next door and I now understand that my mom only sent me there because I was very young (2 years old), and it was very close to home so my family could watch over me. Once I graduated Nursery School, I immediately transferred to St Anthony Primary School for my primary education. I spent one year here and was transferred to Sacred Heart School to continue my primary school education. Do you see the pattern here?

I also did one year there, and my mom had the brilliant idea that I live with her younger sister in a different city (Yaounde) so that I can be more mature and focus on my studies. I was 6 years old when I moved to Yaounde and enrolled at Holy Infant School Melen, Yaounde where I finished my primary School education, took first holy communion, and also wrote the Common Entrance exams and First School leaving certificate exams. (These exams are required in French speaking African countries to gain admission and continue your Secondary Education).

So here I was at 9 years old and have been through three (3) catholic schools already and was already very familiar with Catholic doctrine, its teachings, and the Roman Catholic bible.

What now? Well, if you guessed that I enrolled in a Catholic School for my Secondary education then you are right. I successfully took the entrance exams and was admitted to Queen of the Holy Rosary College (QRC) and at the tender age of 9. I attended my first ever and last boarding school.

QRC is the first girls’ school in Cameroon located in Okoyong, Mamfe. It is a boarding school, and this was where I spent 7 years of my secondary and high school education. Where I made everlasting friends, met my spiritual mentor (Father Paul Obi), and had some of the best years of my life. This is the school that built me and helped solidify my faith in God and made me who I am today.

Life in QRC was very different from what I had imagined considering it was my first time staying on my own at 9 years old. As a Catholic institution governed by reverend sisters and our chaplain we indulge in daily masses, prayers, and the rosary to build and improve our spirituality and to honor Mary who advised St. Bernadette at her appearance at Lourdes “To Pray without ceasing”. The school was named after the Virgin Mary and the holy rosary so as her disciples and her children we have to emulate her ways.

Here is a breakdown of our daily religious activities and prayers:

• Monday:

1. 1. Morning mass at 7 am,
   2. Angelus at noon,
   3. Reciting the holy rosary at 6pm – (we will all recite the rosary walking around the school in straight lines and end up at the Grotto of our lady of Lourdes for final prayers).
   4. Evening prayers at the dorm before lights out.

• Tuesday

1. 1. Morning mass at 7am,
   2. Angelus at noon,
   3. Reciting the holy rosary at 6pm, and
   4. Evening prayers at the dorm.

• Wednesday

1. 1. Morning prayers at 7am,
   2. Angelus at noon,
   3. Evening Mass at 6pm, and
   4. Evening prayers at the dorm.

• Thursday

1. 1. Morning mass at 7am,
   2. Angelus at noon,
   3. Reciting the holy rosary at 6pm, and
   4. Evening prayers at the dorm.

• Friday

1. 1. Morning mass at 7am,
   2. Angelus at noon,
   3. Reciting the holy rosary at 6pm, and
   4. Evening prayers at the dorm.

• Saturday

1. 1. Morning mass at 8am,
   2. Angelus at noon,
   3. Reciting the holy rosary at 6pm, and
   4. Evening prayers at the dorm.

• Sunday

1. 1. Mass at 10am,
   2. Angelus at noon,
   3. Rosary and benediction including adoration of the holy Eucharist at 6pm, and
   4. Evening prayers at the dorm (these prayers are usually before lights out as we prepare for bed).

For the sake of time and purpose of this blog, I will only focus on the religious aspect of my boarding school life as it relates to growing up Catholic. I will release a follow up blog on my experiences in boarding school from the ages of 9 to 15 years old (7 years).

Please bookmark this page and be sure to come for more blogs. I post on a weekly basis every Thursday evening. It will be good to have you back here and thank you for your time, it is very much appreciated!

BLACK WOMEN IN TECH