From Steve Kakrabah-Quarshie
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Most Rev. George Kocherry, Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, has said the rate at which Catholicism is growing in Ghana calls for more Priests and the Religious.
He therefore called on parents to train their wards in a way that “will encourage them to respond to the Priestly and Religious Vocations”.
The Nuncio was preaching a homily at a Mass at the St. Theresa’s Parish at Nkwanta in the Jasikan Diocese, as part of his three-day Pastoral visit to the Diocese.
The Mass was concelebrated by Most Rev. Gabriel Ababio Akwasi Mante, Bishop of Jasikan, Rev. Fr. Auselmus Mawusi, Diocesan Vocations Director, Rev. Fr. Anastasuis Dzodofe, Chaplain of the Nkwanta St. Joseph’s Hospital and Rev. Fr. Rudolf Ofori, the Parish Priest.
Archbishop Kocherry said Ghana now has two Cardinals, 20 Bishops, 5,000 Catechists, 1,200 Priests, both Diocesan and Missionary and 18 Dioceses, with a Catholic population of 1.3 million.
He said Priests and the Religious could only be produced by good Catholic families, advising parents, however, not to force their children into these vocations.
Archbishop Kocherry called on parents “to build good and lasting Catholic faith in their families for their children to have the inclination to serve Jesus always.
“The way you bring up your children would encourage them to go into religious vocations,” he added.
He told the congregation that “there are some people who would want to destroy the Catholic Church, but with our faith in Jesus, they will fail.”
Ghana, he noted, has a practicing Catholic Church and that he was proud to be in Ghana, “at this time when the Church is growing very fast.”
He commended the laity for their active participation in Church activities, but regretted the low number of Catholic marriages in the Church.
Mr. J.Y. Denteh, the District Chief Executive, stated that the Church and State could not be separated because they all work to improve people’s lives.
Mr. Denteh noted with satisfaction the cordial relations between the Catholic Church and the District Assembly.
In a welcoming address, the Parishioners asked for a new Parish at Kpasa to decrease the work on the St. Theresa’s Parish, currently with 29 outstations.
They expressed their gratitude to Bishop Mante for citing various development projects in the Parish.
Present were Nana Oberko Agyei II, Osulewura of the Akyode Traditional Area; Nana Addo Kenewu Chedare II, Chief of Challa and Nana Awuku Chaa II, Chief of Akyode.
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