Archbishop Avelino Bettencourt Visits TSSF Generalate

On February 7, 2024, Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt, the new Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, visited the Generalate of the Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis(TSSF). This maiden visit shortly after his appointment on August 30, 2023, was a testament to the fact that Nuncio is a good and people-centered pastor who values building bridges of relationships and fostering the culture of encounter. It is worth noting that the Portuguese-Canadian Bishop has served the church in many capacities. After obtaining a doctorate in Canon Law at Pontifical Gregorian University in 1999, he served at the Apostolic Nunciature to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and later on moved to the  Vatican Secretariat of State. On November 14, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him head of the protocol of the Secretariat of State. He was later given the title Nuncio by His Holiness Pope Francis on February 26, 2018. From March 2018 till his appointment to Cameroon, he served as the Apostolic Nuncio to Armenia and Georgia.

During his memorable visit to the TSSF Generalate, he expressed profound gratitude to the General Leadership Team for the long-standing relationship and collaboration between the Apostolic Nunciature of Cameroon and the Tertiary Sisters of Saint Francis of the  Cameroon  Province. He equally expressed deep gratitude and appreciation for the services that the Tertiary Sisters have been rendering at the Apostolic Nunciature in Yaoundé for over 30 years.

This courtesy visit which provided an opportunity to strengthen bonds of collaboration was greatly appreciated both by the Nuncio and the sisters. He also had a lively and engaging conversation with the sisters on some topics of common interest. He informed the sisters about the daunting task awaiting him in Cameroon and solicited their prayers. The sisters also expressed sincere gratitude to the Nuncio for his symbolic and memorable visit.