CWA CLIMAXES DIOCESAN CONGRESS
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Chinyere Oliobi, SHCJ
The Catholic Women Association (CWA) of Goaso Diocese recently climaxed their Annual Congress with a Pontifical Thanksgiving Mass at the Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish at Mim in the Brong Ahafo Region. The Congress which was themed “The Value of Marriage and Family: The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the context of the New Evangelization” brought together Catholic women from all the Parishes in the Diocese. Most Rev. Peter Kwaku Atuahene, Bishop of Goaso was the Chief Celebrant at the Mass, concelebrated by Rev. Frs. Stephen Gyau, the Parish Priest, Benjamin Danso, Assistant Priest and Charles Gyasi-Buabeng, the Priest-in-charge of Catechetic and Biblical Apostolate. |
Bishop Atuahene delivering the Homily
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In a homily, Bishop Atuahene said the Holy Family was the model of all Christian families urging couples to regularize their marriages, stay together and bring up their children in decent and God fearing Christian homes so as to eradicate social vices in our society.
He advised parents to spend quality time with their children adding that it was in the family that good moral values of respect, humility, generosity, honesty, discipline, modesty, charity as well as other social graces were inculcated in the children.
He lamented the breakdown of the extended family system which had made the upbringing of children more challenging in our time urging mothers to ensure that their children and wards grow under their watchful care and implored them to be committed to the education and faith formation of their children.
Rev. Fr. Jonas Opoku-Gyamfi in a keynote address on the theme at the opening ceremony said the Church exists to evangelise and the family is the first Church and the first School of evangelization stressing that the call to evangelize was not a prerogative of Catechists, Priests, or Bishops alone but for all Christians.
He entreated the women to be living witnesses in their families urging them to live Christian values and be role models at least to their spouses and children quoting St. John Paul 11 who said: ‘a modern man will listen more not only to preachers but preachers who are at the same time witnesses’.
Fr. Opoku-Gyamfi charged the women to be truthful, be together, find ways and means of bringing up their children, love and forgive the wrongdoers, accept and respect all in the family, be dedicated to their responsibilities and work for justice.
Mrs. Theresa Afful, Diocesan President said the Annual Congress was aimed at the holistic formation of members adding that it afforded members opportunity to socialize, take stock of their activities and strategize in order to make evangelization more effective.
She paid glowing tributes to the Bishop, Most Rev. Peter Atuahene for his paternal support to the Association and applauded members for their presence, support and co-operation urging them to continue to show the same zeal and commitment to their families, communities and the Church.
Welcoming the Bishop and the Congregation, the Parish Priest and Spiritual Director of CWA, Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Gyau expressed profound gratitude to the CWA for choosing the Parish as a venue for this year’s Congress. He assured them that their presence for the past four days had enhanced the spiritual growth of the Parish.
Activities marking the four-day celebrations included music and dancing, presentation of progress reports by all the parishes, health talk, penitential service and confessions, cultural display and choreography by the children of the Holy Family, Testimonies as well as Candle-light and Rosary procession with Mary’s statue through the town of Mim.
There was an exhibition of produce by all the Parishes present.
Other dignitaries that graced the opening ceremony were Nana Adututu Kwarteng Bukuhene of Mim Traditional Council, Hon. Robert Sarfo Mensah, MP Asunafo North Constituency, Abraham Galley, Deputy Municipal Co-ordinating Director, Msgr. Matthew Addai, Vicar General of Goaso Diocese, Msgr. Benjamin Poku Donkor, Development Co-ordinator.
There were solidarity messages from the Diocesan Laity Council, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Society, Christian Mothers’ Association and Women groups from other Christian denominations including Anglican, Presby, Assemlies of God, Methodist, Mozzama Disco Church as well as Muslim Women group.
The participants also had a training session on how to make liquid soap. They also prepared some for the Congress.
He advised parents to spend quality time with their children adding that it was in the family that good moral values of respect, humility, generosity, honesty, discipline, modesty, charity as well as other social graces were inculcated in the children.
He lamented the breakdown of the extended family system which had made the upbringing of children more challenging in our time urging mothers to ensure that their children and wards grow under their watchful care and implored them to be committed to the education and faith formation of their children.
Rev. Fr. Jonas Opoku-Gyamfi in a keynote address on the theme at the opening ceremony said the Church exists to evangelise and the family is the first Church and the first School of evangelization stressing that the call to evangelize was not a prerogative of Catechists, Priests, or Bishops alone but for all Christians.
He entreated the women to be living witnesses in their families urging them to live Christian values and be role models at least to their spouses and children quoting St. John Paul 11 who said: ‘a modern man will listen more not only to preachers but preachers who are at the same time witnesses’.
Fr. Opoku-Gyamfi charged the women to be truthful, be together, find ways and means of bringing up their children, love and forgive the wrongdoers, accept and respect all in the family, be dedicated to their responsibilities and work for justice.
Mrs. Theresa Afful, Diocesan President said the Annual Congress was aimed at the holistic formation of members adding that it afforded members opportunity to socialize, take stock of their activities and strategize in order to make evangelization more effective.
She paid glowing tributes to the Bishop, Most Rev. Peter Atuahene for his paternal support to the Association and applauded members for their presence, support and co-operation urging them to continue to show the same zeal and commitment to their families, communities and the Church.
Welcoming the Bishop and the Congregation, the Parish Priest and Spiritual Director of CWA, Very Rev. Fr. Stephen Gyau expressed profound gratitude to the CWA for choosing the Parish as a venue for this year’s Congress. He assured them that their presence for the past four days had enhanced the spiritual growth of the Parish.
Activities marking the four-day celebrations included music and dancing, presentation of progress reports by all the parishes, health talk, penitential service and confessions, cultural display and choreography by the children of the Holy Family, Testimonies as well as Candle-light and Rosary procession with Mary’s statue through the town of Mim.
There was an exhibition of produce by all the Parishes present.
Other dignitaries that graced the opening ceremony were Nana Adututu Kwarteng Bukuhene of Mim Traditional Council, Hon. Robert Sarfo Mensah, MP Asunafo North Constituency, Abraham Galley, Deputy Municipal Co-ordinating Director, Msgr. Matthew Addai, Vicar General of Goaso Diocese, Msgr. Benjamin Poku Donkor, Development Co-ordinator.
There were solidarity messages from the Diocesan Laity Council, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Society, Christian Mothers’ Association and Women groups from other Christian denominations including Anglican, Presby, Assemlies of God, Methodist, Mozzama Disco Church as well as Muslim Women group.
The participants also had a training session on how to make liquid soap. They also prepared some for the Congress.
A section of the Diocesan Executives at the Mass
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Soap making
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