ARCHBISHOP NKETSIAH ORDAINS EIGHT AS PRIESTS

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, Most Rev. Matthias Kobena Nketsiah has ordained eight deacons as Catholic priests at Apam in the Central Region of Ghana. The solemn and colorful ceremony which brought together family members, well wishers, Religious Sisters and Brothers, seminarians and a host of others also had Most Rev. Peter Paul Angkyer and many priests as concelebrants.

The Archbishop in his homily made reference to the text that the Ordinandi had chosen from the prophet Isaiah which says ‘Here I am send me’. He said that the work they had decided to undertake was an honorable one which would require of them humility and a willingness to serve the people of God. They should exhibit spiritual wisdom, control their emotions and avoid hungering after material things. As priests, they should rely on the Lord who had called them in order to be successful in their ministry. As Jesus told the apostles when they were sent on their missionary journey, the Archbishop urged the priests to be, to ‘travel light’. He admonished them against the practice of using Christianity to amass wealth but urged them to anchor their faith in God who would not abandon them in their times of need. They should be servants of the Word and the Sacraments, he said.

To the parents who had earlier on presented their children for ordination, the Archbishop expressed the gratitude of the Archdiocese to them for the sacrifice they had made for the Church. He, however, appealed to them not to put undue pressure on their sons to give financial support to the family but they should rather support them to be effective in their ministry. The parents also shared their joy and their appreciation for the honour brought to the family and promised to always support them in prayer. Rev. Fr. Bismark Hayford, one of the newly ordained who gave the vote of thanks, pleaded with the senior priests to continue to mentor the new ones in order to prevent avoidable mistakes in the ministry. Father Hayford further appealed to all parishioners also to see it as a Christian duty to approach and correct them if they went wrong in the discharge of their duty.

The names of the newly ordained are: Rev. Frs. Pius Gyasi Acquah, Frank Agyekum-Addo, Francis Ansah Mensah, Enoch Asmah, Charles Jude Baidoo, Charles Bekpar, Bismark Hayford and Ebenezer Kojo Gyesi Mensah.

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