BISHOP ATUAHENE ORDAINS THREE DEACONS
Chinyere Oliobi, SHCJ
Chinyere Oliobi, SHCJ
Most Rev. Peter Kwaku Atuahene, the Catholic Bishop of Goaso Diocese, recently ordained three Deacons for service in the Lord’s vineyard during an impressive Eucharistic celebration at the St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral in Goaso.
The Deacons are: Revds. Bismark Appiah Kyeremeh, Frederick Kwarteng Boakye and Samuel Osei Kuffour.
In a homily, Bishop Atuahene expressed his profound gratitude to God for the gift of vocation to the young men and thanked the deacons and their families for generously responding to God’s call urging the deacons to cultivate an attitude of appreciation to God and to the Church for what they have invested in them.
He expressed appreciation to the Vocations Director, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Asibuo-Kusi, Pastoral Team, Formators, friends, benefactors and all who accompanied and supported the Deacons in their 10 years of Formation saying that hopefully the Deacons would be Ordained Priest in July.
He said that there is a crucial need for people to serve the Church pointing out that the Church needed quality priests not numbers and advised the deacons to serve God with dedication, do their work with commitment and help to pasture God’s people.
Bishop Atuahene said that as Deacons, they would preside over public prayers, administer baptism, assist at and bless marriages, bring viaticum to the sick and conduct funeral services explaining that as Ministers of the Altar, they would proclaim the Gospel, prepare the sacrifice, and distribute Communion to the faithful.
He added that the rite of handing over the Book of the Gospels to them was a Symbolic expression that they must chew the Word and pour it, live it and make people change their lives because they know the Word.
The Prelate appealed to the Deacons to perform God’s work with devotion and sanctity urging them to become team players and not lone workers in the exercise of their ministry.
Bishop Atuahene entreated the Deacons to exercise their ministry committed to the celibate state stressing that as Deacons, they were no longer marriageable.
He added that the celibate state would predispose them to be available at all times for God’s people saying that in spite of the challenges of the celibate state, it gives joy and fulfillment.
He said celibacy is a sign of pastoral charity and an inspiration to it, adding that it is a source of spiritual faithfulness in the world, which enables the celibates to be of service wholeheartedly to God’s people.
He entreated them to do everything with Faith Hope and Love, the three tenets of our religion.
The Ordinandi were presented for Ordination by Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Dabanka the Chancellor of the Diocese.
Rev. Msgr. Anthony Boahen Kyereme, the Cathedral Administrator thanked the Bishop for the honour done the Cathedral by the choosing it as the venue for the Ordination describing choice as a gift and a blessing. He welcomed all especially those from Bomaa and Duayaw Nkwanta parishes, where the Deacons hail from.
The Ordination ceremony was attended by scores of Priests including Very Rev. Fr. Nicholas Afriyie, Secretary General of the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS), Accra, Msgr. Matthew Addai, Vicar General and Principal of St. Joseph’s College of Education at Bechem, Religious, Seminarians, the faithful and families and friends of the Deacons.
The Deacons are: Revds. Bismark Appiah Kyeremeh, Frederick Kwarteng Boakye and Samuel Osei Kuffour.
In a homily, Bishop Atuahene expressed his profound gratitude to God for the gift of vocation to the young men and thanked the deacons and their families for generously responding to God’s call urging the deacons to cultivate an attitude of appreciation to God and to the Church for what they have invested in them.
He expressed appreciation to the Vocations Director, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Asibuo-Kusi, Pastoral Team, Formators, friends, benefactors and all who accompanied and supported the Deacons in their 10 years of Formation saying that hopefully the Deacons would be Ordained Priest in July.
He said that there is a crucial need for people to serve the Church pointing out that the Church needed quality priests not numbers and advised the deacons to serve God with dedication, do their work with commitment and help to pasture God’s people.
Bishop Atuahene said that as Deacons, they would preside over public prayers, administer baptism, assist at and bless marriages, bring viaticum to the sick and conduct funeral services explaining that as Ministers of the Altar, they would proclaim the Gospel, prepare the sacrifice, and distribute Communion to the faithful.
He added that the rite of handing over the Book of the Gospels to them was a Symbolic expression that they must chew the Word and pour it, live it and make people change their lives because they know the Word.
The Prelate appealed to the Deacons to perform God’s work with devotion and sanctity urging them to become team players and not lone workers in the exercise of their ministry.
Bishop Atuahene entreated the Deacons to exercise their ministry committed to the celibate state stressing that as Deacons, they were no longer marriageable.
He added that the celibate state would predispose them to be available at all times for God’s people saying that in spite of the challenges of the celibate state, it gives joy and fulfillment.
He said celibacy is a sign of pastoral charity and an inspiration to it, adding that it is a source of spiritual faithfulness in the world, which enables the celibates to be of service wholeheartedly to God’s people.
He entreated them to do everything with Faith Hope and Love, the three tenets of our religion.
The Ordinandi were presented for Ordination by Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Dabanka the Chancellor of the Diocese.
Rev. Msgr. Anthony Boahen Kyereme, the Cathedral Administrator thanked the Bishop for the honour done the Cathedral by the choosing it as the venue for the Ordination describing choice as a gift and a blessing. He welcomed all especially those from Bomaa and Duayaw Nkwanta parishes, where the Deacons hail from.
The Ordination ceremony was attended by scores of Priests including Very Rev. Fr. Nicholas Afriyie, Secretary General of the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS), Accra, Msgr. Matthew Addai, Vicar General and Principal of St. Joseph’s College of Education at Bechem, Religious, Seminarians, the faithful and families and friends of the Deacons.
Bishop Atuahene with the Deacons