Dear friends,

My name is Fr. Nsabinla Kenneth Lukong but here in the United States I am known as Fr. Kenneth. I was born and raised in Kumbo, in the North West Region of Cameroon, in a community where faith, hard work, and care for one another shaped my early life. Looking back on the journey that has taken me from Kumbo to priestly ministry in the United States, I recognize above all the providence of God and the generosity of the many people who have accompanied me along the way.

I began my education at Public School Bamkika-ay in Kumbo and later attended St. Aloysius Minor Seminary, where my vocation to the priesthood began to take deeper root. After a year of spiritual formation at St. John Mary Vianney Spiritual Center in Bafut-Bamenda, I entered St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Bambui, affiliated with the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy in 2015.

Following a year of pastoral internship at St. Aloysius Minor Seminary, where I taught Latin, Music, Philosophy, and Religion, I came to the United States in 2016 to continue my priestly formation at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. There, I earned degrees in Theology and Divinity and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) in Systematic Theology.

I was ordained a deacon on May 15, 2021, and on June 18, 2022, Archbishop William E. Lori ordained me to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Baltimore at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

Since ordination, I have served in parish ministry at St. Louis in Clarksville, St. Francis of Assisi in Fulton, and the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore. Teaching has remained an important part of my vocation. I currently serve as an on-call instructor for the Permanent Deacon Formation Program of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and am pursuing doctoral studies in Theology at The Catholic University of America, with particular interest in sacramental and systematic theology.

Remembering Kumbo

Although my vocation and studies have brought me far from home, Kumbo has never left my heart. The opportunities I have received have deepened my desire to give back to the communities that formed me and to help those who continue to struggle with basic necessities.

One need weighs especially heavily on me: access to clean and reliable water.

For many families in and around Kumbo, obtaining water remains a daily struggle. Women and children may have to travel considerable distances to find water for drinking, cooking, washing, and other basic needs. The lack of dependable clean water affects not only health and sanitation but also education, family life, and human dignity.

One of my hopes is therefore to work with friends, parishioners, benefactors, and people of goodwill to support sustainable water projects for communities in Kumbo. Wells, boreholes, water-storage facilities, and distribution systems can transform the life of an entire community. I am currently helping fund a water project in Bamkika’ai.

My concern also extends to children who need educational opportunities and families facing difficult circumstances. I have been blessed by the generosity, prayers, and sacrifices of many people throughout my own journey, and I believe that the greatest expression of gratitude is to allow the blessings we have received to become blessings for others.

When I look back—from Kumbo to Bambui, from Cameroon to Baltimore, and from seminary formation to the priesthood—I know that I did not make this journey alone. I remain deeply grateful to God, my family, teachers and formators, brother priests, parishioners, friends, and all those who have supported and encouraged me.

My hope is simple: to use the opportunities God has given me to serve others—especially by helping provide clean water, supporting education, and bringing hope to communities in Kumbo.

Ultimately, my vocation remains a call to know Christ, to make Him known, and to serve God’s people wherever their needs call me.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Lukong