our story

“From ASEMS to LASTA: The History”

Three years after the silver jubilee celebrations of the Mother STAMS, as the beloved alma mater- St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary is often referred to, the hunger and thirst for the formalization of a lay Alumni body translated into reality. The brainchild of Lambert Mbom who left the seminary in July 1999, and began stoking the embers of such an organization. Informal gatherings in Bambui at the home of Aidan Berinyuy and Nkwen of Stephen Angafor- de facto hangout spots for former seminarians provided steam for the eventual concretization of this move.

Mocked at by many and buffeted by the capriciousness of daily life, the new crop of ex seminarians sprouted and rose to the challenge to come together and seek solutions to burning issues affecting their sustenance and survival The prevailing beggarly profile of the ex seminarian desperately cried out for change. At the Silver Jubilee of the seminary in 1998 lay Alumni were non existent. At its 40th anniversary and especially at the recent golden jubilee celebrations in 2023, an impressive turnout both physically and financially bore eloquent proof of a patterned and sustained growth.

With the creation of the GCE Board in 1993 and its subsequent introduction of Religious Studies and Philosophy into the end of course examinations, this crystallized the budding association. Philosophy and Theology are the academic engines on which seminary formation runs and so faucet of opportunities was unlocked to former seminarians who now became teachers of Religious Studies and Philosophy. Little wonder then that with the annual correction of these certificate examinations, the largest contigent of former Seminarians could get together for fruitful exchange of ideas and plans. Thus in 2001 the organization was born and the most visible proof is the first email address of the association read asems2001@yahoo.com Association of Ex Seminarians ASEMS became the name and 2001 its birth year. When the government made the push to hire teachers for philosophy for Government High Schools, Alfred Jumrika of blessed memory, Louis Bawe and Christopher Fanka were the first former seminarians to be recruited directly. The joy of this blessing soon dissipated as they hit a snarl when they could not get matricule number to be integrated to the civil service. Their degree, B. Phil from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome to which the seminary is affiliated did not get equivalent recognition by the government of Cameroon. The paradoxes of the system. And this became a key agenda item which dominated the official meeting which held at the Catholic Mission Garage at the Cathedral grounds in Bamenda. The association resolved to solicit the help of then National Catholic Education Secretary, Msgr Patrick Lafon now of blessed memory. Lambert Mbom made the trip to Yaounde and met with Msgr Lafon at his Mvolye office who promised to follow up especially with his familial connections at the Ministry of Higher Education.

At this time too many ex seminarians began scouting for opportunities to travel abroad. China.Germany and the USA were prominent destinations. And thus the nucleus that had been former began the great dispersion in search of greener pastures.

With an impressive coterie located in Maryland in the USA, the dream continued to be nursed, fertilized and groomed. The brotherhood took form here with infrequent meetings hosted by Dr Januarius Asongu. Some new blood streamed in and at Dr Nicholas Tar’s home, some ex seminarians welcomed Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo. During this brief event, those pr sent expressed the need for the Bishops to formally recognize the association. He commended the initiative and appointed Rev Fr Eugen Nkardzedze studying at the Catholic University of America at the time as chaplain to help this initiative to bloom and blossom.

The “remnant” to borrow a biblical image did not let the idea to fizzle out and so the initiative continued to gather momentum in Cameroon. In 2018, at the passing of Pa Valentine Mbom, the father of th founding father of this association, brothers took a major step to get the group fully functional.