Her vocation is a joyful expression of God’s love

 

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“I will go to change the tears of desperation into the sweet tears of hope” 

– Giulia di Barolo, founder of Sisters of St. Ann

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Sister Delphine E. Apinjoh, from the Sisters of St. Ann (SSA), exudes the kind of confidence and vivacious joy that attracts people, young and old alike. Before the pandemic, Sister Delphine spent most of her time helping at Most Precious Blood Parish, ministering to the homebound, teaching Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, coordinating with the office of youth ministry and singing in the choir. Nowadays, she teaches catechism virtually – to over 100 youth. Her exuberance in ministering to youth comes from a strong sense of family, service and a solid faith foundation.

Born into a truly dedicated and faithful Catholic family, Sister Delphine feels that her family nurtured her loving relationship with God. “My parent’s Christian living was the best gift God ever gave me. They brought us all into that faith,” she said. 

Her homeland is Africa. She hails from an English-speaking (Anglophone) community in Cameroon. She is the third of seven children from parents, Ignatius and Philomena Obejun Apinjoh (now deceased). Today, she connects with her siblings through WhatsApp Messenger – sometimes, they even pray a novena together. 

Her parents attended Mass daily and served in different leadership roles in Christ the King Parish community. Her father was Parish Pastoral Council President; he was a Catholic Men’s Association leader and a Small Christian Community leader. Her mom served in the Catholic Women’s Association, which is the equivalent of Catholic Daughters of America here in the U.S. “They made sure that we had all our sacraments and even enrolled us into different church groups,” Sister Delphine said. “The entire family was really involved.”

Her vocation journey began after receiving her first Holy Communion. Her mother enrolled her in the Cadets of Mary, a Cameroonian youth group. “There we learned about the example of our Blessed Mother – her faith, her obedience, her love,” she said.

Cameroon, girls in Cadets of Mary wear uniforms that resemble blue habits, so Sister Delphine already looked like a sister. The group was in constant contact with the Religious Sisters of St. Ann, whom she admired for their dedication, smiles and tireless service. When they asked the Cadets, “Who wants to become a religious?’ She raised her hand without even knowing what it meant, but every time she thought about it, she felt at peace. 

At age 16, she was in charge of the young catechetical group and helped the Sisters of St. Ann with their chores, so when her chaplain asked her if she wanted to pursue a life as a religious, her immediate response was surprising. 

She said no, “You see, I never mentioned it to anybody, not even my family. I kept it really to myself.” But after about a month, she sought her chaplain’s counsel, and after finishing high school, Sister Delphine joined the community of the Sisters of St. Ann. 

During her discernment period (postulancy), she learned about the history of the congregation, sociology and human formation and at the same time grew a deeper relationship with God through prayer.

After that year, she spent two years as a novice. “It’s basically a year of review, the first year of novitiate, is called a canonical year – we are really cut off from activities. You want to build an intimate relationship with God and is normally considered to be the foundation of your religious life,” she said. “So, if you live out your canonical year well, you are eventually going to make a good religious, because that is the year that you use to build a foundation.”

Also, during this period, she took some theology and philosophy classes. She completed college-based courses on human formation, metaphysics, epistemology, cosmology, Christology, Mariology and the Trinity. Her teachers also taught the seminarians at the college. During her formation, she was assigned to another town where she learned the French language.

According to Sister Delphine, every year ends with a six-day contemplative retreat to determine whether a novice should continue her formation. “You need to be happy; you need to be fulfilled; you need to be yourself,” she said. “Those are really some very awesome moments where you get some beautiful insights, and you get some real assurances of – “Yes. I’ve called you; I want you to come and be with me; I want you to be my hands and feet to the world,” she said. “I mean, you get this assurance that keeps you going.”

She took final vows on July 26, 2010. “It was such a beautiful experience and celebration. “There were a lot of people, a lot of celebration, and dancing. Each time I think about it – it’s just like the memories are still fresh in my mind.” 

At age 22 and after taking final vows, Sister Delphine was assigned to an orphanage in Cameroon’s French-speaking community. She was in charge of 14 boys and girls, with the youngest ranging in age from 18 months old to the eldest at 17 years old. “I was like a mom and a dad to all of them,” she said. “It was also challenging because it was a different language and culture and amazing because I feel like the orphans actually helped me speak the language fluently.”

After that three-year assignment, she went back to her hometown and received a bachelor’s degree in biology. She taught at a Catholic high school for two years. In addition to being a full-time Biology teacher, she assisted the school chaplain and later became the chaplain. During this time, she prepared young people for the sacraments and taught pedagogy to some of the younger sisters in the novitiate. She also taught “Introduction to Scriptures” to aspirants.

Sister Delphine was then assigned to Holy Family and Holy Name Church in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, where her missionary journey began. She received a master’s degree in education and human resource management while teaching and preparing teenagers for confirmation at the church. 

After three years, she was transferred to Corpus Christi on July 19, 2016. 

The most challenging part of her journey has been making new beginnings. In Pennsylvania, people tend to be reserved. The people in Corpus Christi are more like the people in her country. “In Pennsylvania, the highest compliment is when somebody waves to you from a distance,” she said, adding, “but by the time you realize it, that person is long gone. The very first person who saw me here (in Corpus Christi) was running and coming to give me a big hug, and I thought, ‘oh my God, I’m home.’”

Other challenges “are living with different people, different characters, different temperaments, and different ways of thinking. In the beginning, there are those difficulties before you eventually insert yourself completely,” she said. “But I always say that the language of love is what actually conquers all because of the love that we have for each other. We strive to surpass even the limits of each one of us. Love helps us grow together, be a community together, and then strive for willingness together. That is most rewarding.”