Be committed to Church activities
Bishop Agyenta urges Laity
From Fr. MacHenry Ayamga
Most Rev. Agyenta, Bishop of Navrongo-Bolgatang, has called on the lay faithful in Ghana to be committed to programmes and activities organized by their Churches and Parishes instead of attaching themselves to only societal or Association Groupings.
“There is a growing trend noticeable in some Parishes where members of lay associations and Groups tend to attach more importance and allegiance to their associations and Groups than to the Parish community activities and programmes.”
Bishop Agyenta said a clear example was the perennial problem of poor patronage of the Laity Week Celebration in the Parishes. Members were often more committed to and willing to spend time at events and programmes organised by their associations than at Parish programmes. The impression, false as it may be, is that the societies and groups are more important than the Christian community which gave birth to these groups in the first place.
The Bishop was speaking at the just ended 37th Annual Plenary Assembly of the National Laity Council at Bolgatanga under the Theme: "Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of the New Evangelisation" The Plenary Assembly, chaired by Dr. Joseph Arkoh, Chairman of National Laity Council, was attended by delegates across the country from all Arch/Dioceses and Donkorkrom Vicariate.
Bishop Agyenta commended the laity of Ghana for "their immense contribution towards the promotion of the Kingdom of God in this country. “As Pastors, we do recognise with gratitude the sacrifices that you often make to get things going in the Dioceses and in the Parishes, encouraging them to continue to do more knowing very well that you have the potential and the ability to do so.”
Dilating on the theme of the Assembly, the Bishop said it "is by now a very familiar one that is currently being discussed at both the universal, national and local Church levels.” He reminded the Laity of the two successive Synods on the Family that had been called by the Holy Father Pope Francis to deal not only with the pastoral challenges currently facing the family but also to consider the vocation and mission of the family in our contemporary times.
“If there is any group of Christ’s faithful who have a major stake in the outcome of these Synods, it is undoubtedly the lay faithful, whose vocation hinges on the promotion and growth of the family as the nucleus cell of the society and the Church.”
He noted that if the family was facing major challenges today, the survival of the lay faithful as an important constituent of Church and Society was at risk, saying that it was incumbent upon the lay faithful to make a major contribution towards finding solutions to the challenges that confront the family today. He drew the attention of delegates "to one fundamental challenge facing the family today and that needs urgent attention. It has become evident in recent times that people are no longer spending quality time with their families. He said the quest for material welfare and security has made people to trade family quality time for the promotion and growth of their business and professional development.
Bishop Agyenta lamented that “people seem to be married more to their work than to their husbands and wives and tend to nurture their businesses and professions more than their children. As long as we do not find time to be with our families, to nurture and grow them, the society and for that matter the Church, is at serious risk".
The Bishop pointed out that a "particular area of concern has to do with the vocation of the laity as the leaven of the society. While as a Church we might be tempted to boast of a vibrant laity in terms of the numbers and growth of the various associations and groups, I believe our lay faithful has yet to rise up to the challenge of bringing their faith into the public square.” He told the laity that “Your role as agents of change in the temporal order still leaves much to be desired. The Church depends on you to bring the Gospel values into the political arena, into our educational institutions, into our Hospitals, into our security services, into our business world.”
The Priests are limited when it comes to reaching out to these areas effectively with the gospel message and must necessarily rely on the concrete witness of our lay faithful". There were goodwill messages from the President of the Diocesan Priests Association, Rev. Fr. Augustine Adams who said, "Priests acknowledge the priceless role of the laity and their contribution to Evangelisation". Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, Secretary of the Chief Imam, conveyed felicitations and good wishes from the Muslim community in the Upper East Region, expressing joy in the mutual co-existence between Muslims and Christians in the Region.
He said the theme of family was of concern to everyone and prayed that "Allah would bless all families in the world". He said the Chief Imam Sheik imam Yusuf had instructed that "no Muslim student in the Region should confront any Christian especially in Christian schools in the wake of the national debate of rights of Muslims students in Mission Schools". He, however, added his voice the many calls for a greater clarification on the issues arising in order that the matter could be put to rest once and for all.
In his message, Naba Sigri Bewong, the Sakote Naba and President of Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, pledged the support of the Traditional Rulers to partner with the Church ensure integral growth, peace and progress in the country.
Launching the 37th Annual Plenary Assembly 2015 Study Programme co-authored by Sir Dave Anane-Druyeh, Mr. John Kofi Tandoh said the study programme was the working document for lay faithful and for national week celebrations throughout the country this year.
The contents of the Laity Study Booklet, is a product of the official Conclusions and translation of the “Relatio Synodi” of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops called by Pope Francis in October 2014.
Mr. Tandoh said, if the laity would assiduously study the contents of this Church Document, they would to acknowledge that "Within the family are joys and trials, deep love and relationships which, at times, can be wounded.
The family is truly the “school of humanity” (Gaudium et Spes, 52), which is much needed today. Despite the many signs of crisis in the family institution in various areas of the “global village”, the desire to marry and form a family remained vibrant, especially among young people, and serves as the basis of the Church’s need to proclaim untiringly and with profound conviction the “Gospel of the Family”, entrusted to her together with the revelation of God’s love in Jesus Christ."
He said the family was uniquely important to the Church especially this time, when all believers are invited to think of others rather than themselves, the family needs to be rediscovered as the essential agent in the work of Evangelization.”
The first few autographed copies were sold for GH¢150 each as part of fundraising in support of the work and activities of the Laity Council in Ghana.
From Fr. MacHenry Ayamga
Most Rev. Agyenta, Bishop of Navrongo-Bolgatang, has called on the lay faithful in Ghana to be committed to programmes and activities organized by their Churches and Parishes instead of attaching themselves to only societal or Association Groupings.
“There is a growing trend noticeable in some Parishes where members of lay associations and Groups tend to attach more importance and allegiance to their associations and Groups than to the Parish community activities and programmes.”
Bishop Agyenta said a clear example was the perennial problem of poor patronage of the Laity Week Celebration in the Parishes. Members were often more committed to and willing to spend time at events and programmes organised by their associations than at Parish programmes. The impression, false as it may be, is that the societies and groups are more important than the Christian community which gave birth to these groups in the first place.
The Bishop was speaking at the just ended 37th Annual Plenary Assembly of the National Laity Council at Bolgatanga under the Theme: "Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of the New Evangelisation" The Plenary Assembly, chaired by Dr. Joseph Arkoh, Chairman of National Laity Council, was attended by delegates across the country from all Arch/Dioceses and Donkorkrom Vicariate.
Bishop Agyenta commended the laity of Ghana for "their immense contribution towards the promotion of the Kingdom of God in this country. “As Pastors, we do recognise with gratitude the sacrifices that you often make to get things going in the Dioceses and in the Parishes, encouraging them to continue to do more knowing very well that you have the potential and the ability to do so.”
Dilating on the theme of the Assembly, the Bishop said it "is by now a very familiar one that is currently being discussed at both the universal, national and local Church levels.” He reminded the Laity of the two successive Synods on the Family that had been called by the Holy Father Pope Francis to deal not only with the pastoral challenges currently facing the family but also to consider the vocation and mission of the family in our contemporary times.
“If there is any group of Christ’s faithful who have a major stake in the outcome of these Synods, it is undoubtedly the lay faithful, whose vocation hinges on the promotion and growth of the family as the nucleus cell of the society and the Church.”
He noted that if the family was facing major challenges today, the survival of the lay faithful as an important constituent of Church and Society was at risk, saying that it was incumbent upon the lay faithful to make a major contribution towards finding solutions to the challenges that confront the family today. He drew the attention of delegates "to one fundamental challenge facing the family today and that needs urgent attention. It has become evident in recent times that people are no longer spending quality time with their families. He said the quest for material welfare and security has made people to trade family quality time for the promotion and growth of their business and professional development.
Bishop Agyenta lamented that “people seem to be married more to their work than to their husbands and wives and tend to nurture their businesses and professions more than their children. As long as we do not find time to be with our families, to nurture and grow them, the society and for that matter the Church, is at serious risk".
The Bishop pointed out that a "particular area of concern has to do with the vocation of the laity as the leaven of the society. While as a Church we might be tempted to boast of a vibrant laity in terms of the numbers and growth of the various associations and groups, I believe our lay faithful has yet to rise up to the challenge of bringing their faith into the public square.” He told the laity that “Your role as agents of change in the temporal order still leaves much to be desired. The Church depends on you to bring the Gospel values into the political arena, into our educational institutions, into our Hospitals, into our security services, into our business world.”
The Priests are limited when it comes to reaching out to these areas effectively with the gospel message and must necessarily rely on the concrete witness of our lay faithful". There were goodwill messages from the President of the Diocesan Priests Association, Rev. Fr. Augustine Adams who said, "Priests acknowledge the priceless role of the laity and their contribution to Evangelisation". Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, Secretary of the Chief Imam, conveyed felicitations and good wishes from the Muslim community in the Upper East Region, expressing joy in the mutual co-existence between Muslims and Christians in the Region.
He said the theme of family was of concern to everyone and prayed that "Allah would bless all families in the world". He said the Chief Imam Sheik imam Yusuf had instructed that "no Muslim student in the Region should confront any Christian especially in Christian schools in the wake of the national debate of rights of Muslims students in Mission Schools". He, however, added his voice the many calls for a greater clarification on the issues arising in order that the matter could be put to rest once and for all.
In his message, Naba Sigri Bewong, the Sakote Naba and President of Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, pledged the support of the Traditional Rulers to partner with the Church ensure integral growth, peace and progress in the country.
Launching the 37th Annual Plenary Assembly 2015 Study Programme co-authored by Sir Dave Anane-Druyeh, Mr. John Kofi Tandoh said the study programme was the working document for lay faithful and for national week celebrations throughout the country this year.
The contents of the Laity Study Booklet, is a product of the official Conclusions and translation of the “Relatio Synodi” of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops called by Pope Francis in October 2014.
Mr. Tandoh said, if the laity would assiduously study the contents of this Church Document, they would to acknowledge that "Within the family are joys and trials, deep love and relationships which, at times, can be wounded.
The family is truly the “school of humanity” (Gaudium et Spes, 52), which is much needed today. Despite the many signs of crisis in the family institution in various areas of the “global village”, the desire to marry and form a family remained vibrant, especially among young people, and serves as the basis of the Church’s need to proclaim untiringly and with profound conviction the “Gospel of the Family”, entrusted to her together with the revelation of God’s love in Jesus Christ."
He said the family was uniquely important to the Church especially this time, when all believers are invited to think of others rather than themselves, the family needs to be rediscovered as the essential agent in the work of Evangelization.”
The first few autographed copies were sold for GH¢150 each as part of fundraising in support of the work and activities of the Laity Council in Ghana.
