A LITTLE BIO ABOUT FR. VALERY:

Fr. Valery Akoh is originally from Cameroon, West Africa and was born on August 16 th
1987. Fr. Valery is the third child from a family of four children: three boys and one girl.
He went to Regina Pacis Primary School from 1992-1999, and completed his secondary and high school at Bishop Rogan College, Buea from 1999-2006. After that, Fr. Valery proceeded to St. John Mary Vianney Spiritual Center, Bafut, where he did a year in preparation for the
major seminary. From 2007 to 2010 he was in formation at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Bambui, as a seminarian for the Diocese of Buea, Cameroon. It was there that he obtained a B.A. in Philosophy. He then did a year of pastoral experience at St. John Bosco’s
Parish, Mbonge, Cameroon.

He came to the USA in 2011 and after seven months of pastoral experience and discernment at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, he decided to join the Archdiocese of Atlanta. He was then sent to continue his theological studies at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois where he continued his priestly formation in theology. He was ordained to the Diaconate on the 30 th of May, 2015 and as a priest of Jesus Christ on June 25 th 2016. After ordination, he returned to seminary to finish his Licentiate in Sacred Theology.
From 2017 to 2019, he did his first pastoral assignment as a parochial vicar in St. Mary’s, Rome, Georgia, and from 2019 to 2022, he served as parochial vicar at St. Catherine of Siena, Kennesaw. In his spare time, Fr Valery likes formative reading, documentaries, playing basketball, soccer and table tennis. He speaks English, Spanish, Banya, Pidgin English and some French, and he is very excited to begin his new assignment here at St. Matthew!

Q & A with the Communications Office:
1. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
Fr. Valery: I love to hang out with my family and friends, read, and exercise on my day off.

2. What's the best joke you've ever heard?
Fr. Valery: Some American tourists went to the Holy Land and decided to do a boat ride on
Lake Galilee, and they were told it costs $ 300 per person for the one mile ride. They
pleaded for the cost to be lowered to no avail. Then one of the tourists exclaimed:
“No wonder Jesus walked!”

3. What's the phone app you use most?
Fr. Valery: Spiritual: ibreviary; Social: Whatsapp

4. What causes are you passionate about?
Fr. Valery: The salvation of souls; Building a Church family where everyone feels loved and
welcomed; Forgiveness and Reconciliation; Respect life ministries, the dignity of
every person, alleviation of poverty, social justice and charity outreach especially to
the homeless.

5. What is your favorite way to pray?
Fr. Valery: I love to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament kneeling. I love to pray using scriptures (Lectio Divina)

6. What makes you feel at peace?
Fr. Valery: Prayer and living in an environment of love, trust and respect.

7. What is something on your bucket list?
Fr. Valery: To some day get a degree in counseling to augment my pastoral ministry.
To some day write a book.

8. What is a unique thing about you?
Fr. Valery: It took me five years to learn French, but I still know very little of it, but it took me just two months to learn Spanish.

Thank you, Fr. Valery!