Learn to live in peace with each other

From Steve Kakrabah-Quarshie

* Archbishop Palmer-Buckle addressing the congregation. On the right are the new priests.

Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, says that the lay people would like to see in the Priestly Ministry, Priests who are obedient and are not afraid of a life of hardship and suffering.
He said the lay people show “their appreciation for those priests who suffer for them and for the Church,” he added.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle was preaching at a concelebrated Mass at the ordination of four Divine Word Missionaries (SVDs) at the St. Augustine’s Catholic Church at Ashaiman, near Tema.

They are Rev. Frs. Julius Kofi Keeke, Moses Asaah Awinogya, Nicholas Nibetol Aazine and Sampson Kwadzo Fenuku.
Very Rev. Alphonse Amanor, acting SVD Provincial Superior and 200 Priests concelebrated the Mass.
In attendance were many relatives and friends of the ordinandi, the religious, Mr. Isaac Agbesi, MP for Ashaiman, Knights of St. John International, Knights of Marshall, Christian Mothers’ Association and many Societies and organisation in the Church.

“My dear brothers in the Holy priesthood, it seems that today, priests do not like any suffering at all, nor do we like to learn to obey like Christ through suffering,” the Archbishop noted.
He declared: “There is no way to become more and more like Christ, his images, other than the way He himself went; learning obedience through suffering.”
“So, when it comes to the time of suffering, my prayer for you is that you have chosen to walk in the foot steps of Christ.”
The Metropolitan Archbishop advised Priests to avoid what he termed as “dirty quarrels,” among themselves and learn to live together in community.

Sometimes, “we scandalize the lay people when two priests cannot live together and the laymen and women hear the dirty quarrels amongst us. This is no way to edify them.”
Wherever you go as a priest, you will definitely meet some one there already. Let us learn to live in peace with each other and work together for the coming of the Kingdom of God, instead of bringing division among the people of God.
On deliverance, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said every priest has power over the evil one and we should make use of this power “for the deliverance of our people.”

“I am tempted to think that we Priests are sometimes afraid of the devil and so we find every excuse to avoid doing battle with him and his subjects, and conquering him in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Quoting from the Gospel reading of the day, the Archbishop said Jesus gave his apostle power over unclean spirit. They cast out many devils.
He declared: “Our people are waiting for us to use these powers for their salvation.” Let us use them, my dear brother Priests!
The Archbishop advised priests to make good use of the Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation and make them available to the people.
“Let us visit the sick in their homes, in hospitals and prisons, let us pray for them and anoint them with oil so that the Lord Jesus Christ may cure them.”

He reminded the new Priests that they are mortals, and not supermen adding that every priest should remember this and that he is taken from among the people of God, not from Saints and Angels.
Earlier, Fr. Amanor had presented the new Priests to the Archbishop for ordination and thanked their parents and those who prepared them to work in the Lord’s vineyard.
Fr. Fenuku was born on September 30, 1968 at Mepe in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region to Mr. Anthony Kwao Fenuku and Madam Paulina Yawa Amedzor.
After his basic education, at Mepe and Afram Plains, he entered the Donkorkrom Agriculture Secondary School and thence to the E.P. Training College at Amedzofe.
In 1997, he joined the SVD Formation Programme at Tamale and in 2000, he entered the SVD Novitiate and professed his first vow in 2001.

Fr. Fenuku is assigned to the Botswana Province.
Fr. Aazine hails from Fielmuo in the Upper West Region, born to George and Theresa Aazine.
After his basic education, he gained admission into the SVD Formation House at Tamale.
He then left for the Novitiate at Kwahu-Nkwatia, professing his first vows in 2001, and later left for the University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi – Kenya, where he obtained Baccalaureate Degree in Sacred Theology and Diploma in Social Communication.
Fr. Aazine speaks English, Kiswahili, Dagaare, Twi, Ewe, Dagbani and Krobo, and is assigned to Australia.
Fr. Awinongya was born on September 29, 1972, to Mr. Akuribire Awinongya and Madam Alice Mmah Aaah at Namoo, in the Upper East Region.

He attended the Namoo L.A. Primary School and T.I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School, from where he continued to the University of Ghana, Legon for a Bachelor’s Degree in Administration. (Accounting option).
In 1998, he was admitted into the Freinademetz Formation House at Tamale, and then to the Divine Word Novitiate at Nkwatia-Kwahu, professing his first vows in 2001.
He was then transferred to the North German Province for his theological studies at the Philosophysch Theologische Hochschule, where he completed his course in 2005, and was adjudged the best foreign student.
Fr. Awinongya is assigned to the North German Province.
Fr. Keeke was born on July 4, 1969 at Nkonya-Ntumda, in the Jasikan District of the Volta Region to Mr. Vincent K. Obiarabewu and late Madam Agnes Attakuma.

He attended Nkonya R.C. Primary and L.A. Middle Schools, and gained admission into Nkonya Secondary School for his Ordinary and then to Bishop Herman for his Advanced levels.
He later entered St. Victor’s Major Seminary at Tamale and then to the Novitiate at Nkwatia-Kwahu, after which he professed his first vows in 2001.
He holds a Baccalaureate Degree in Sacred Theology and Diploma in Social Communication from the Common Formation Centre in Nairobi-Kenya.
Fr. Keeke will work in the Ghana Province.

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