Year of Consecrated Life climaxed in Kumasi
From Damian Avevor
The celebration of the Ghana version of the Year of Consecrated Life, was climaxed at the Christian Village in Kumasi with a four days of activities on the theme: Wake up the World with Testimonies of Faith, Holiness and Hope.
Over 600 Consecrated Men and Women from about 60 Religious Congregations working in Ghana participated in the event to climax the Year declared by Pope Francis from November 30, 2014 to February 2, 2016.
Activities marking the year-long celebration of the Year in Ghana included the official launching, Seminars for Formators, Vocation Director and Directresses and those invited to Youth Apostolate; Arch/Diocesan Week of Life Consecrated to Unity and the four-day activities to climax the celebration in Kumasi.
The Climax programme from January 20 to 23, was organised by the Conference of Major Superiors- Ghana to inform Ghanaians that the passion for Christ was the true beauty of the life of the many Men and Women who professed the Evangelical Counsels and follow Christ more closely in this state of life.
The opening ceremony at the Christian Village was attended by many dignitaries including Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, Bishop of Ho, who was the Guest Speaker; Most Rev. Gabriel Justice Anokye, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi; Rev. Fr. Dominic Apee, M.Af, President of the Conference of Major Superiors, Ghana; who chaired the opening ceremony; Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Francis Appiah-Kubi, President of National Union of Ghana Diocesan Priests’ Associations (NUGDPA).
The Year of Consecrated Life was declared to enable members of the Consecrated Life affirm that the crises that affected the world and the Church, also affected them and they need to be encourage to remain hopeful with trust in the Lord.
It was also to help the Religious live the present with passion of Christ, which speaks of love, true friendship, and the desire to help Christian people all over the world to realise and appreciate the beauty of following Christ in the various types of Religious Vocations.
The Year of Consecrated Life was closed with a Eucharistic Mass at the Immaculate Conception Church at South Suntreso, Kumasi, presided over by Archbishop Anokye and concelebrated by about 30 Religious and Diocesan Priests including Rev. Fr. Dr. Louis Tuffour, Vicar General of Kumasi; Rev. Fr. Peter Osei Amoateng, Parish Priest of South Suntreso and Superiors of the Men Religious Congregations.
The Church was filled to capacity with mostly Reverend Sisters from the various Religious Congregations and Parishioners of the St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception Church.
In a homily, Archbishop Anokye urged the Religious to lead holy lives according to their Congregational charisma and be united more to Christ than earthly pleasures.
He reminded them that they did not choose themselves into this Vocation, but through the power of God, saying that formerly they were strangers but had been brought close to the Lord through the choice of the Vocation.
The Archbishop entreated the Consecrated Men and Women to be thankful to God and be grateful to Him for their chosen Vocation, commending Pope Francis for declaring this special Year.
He encouraged them to live joyfully in their Vocation, adhering firmly to their Religious Vows and living in a communal spirit or individual lives in a community, urging them to let the joy of the Lord be their strength.
He admonished them to continue to make the Religious Life a dignified one, be spiritually powerful, show reverence wherever they found themselves and avoid ostentatious lives so as to attract the youth to aspire to Religious Life.
The Consecrated Men and Women with lighted candles recited the Prayer of Consecrated Life to rededicate themselves to their Religious Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.
Fr. Apee thanked the Religious for participating in the Ghana version of the Year, praying that as R,eligious they would continue to evangelise in all parts of the country.
He said the gathering of all Religious in Kumasi for the celebration was the first of its kind in the Country, hoping that the Conference of Major Superiors would organise more activities to share experiences and ideas of Religious Life.
The celebration of the Ghana version of the Year of Consecrated Life, was climaxed at the Christian Village in Kumasi with a four days of activities on the theme: Wake up the World with Testimonies of Faith, Holiness and Hope.
Over 600 Consecrated Men and Women from about 60 Religious Congregations working in Ghana participated in the event to climax the Year declared by Pope Francis from November 30, 2014 to February 2, 2016.
Activities marking the year-long celebration of the Year in Ghana included the official launching, Seminars for Formators, Vocation Director and Directresses and those invited to Youth Apostolate; Arch/Diocesan Week of Life Consecrated to Unity and the four-day activities to climax the celebration in Kumasi.
The Climax programme from January 20 to 23, was organised by the Conference of Major Superiors- Ghana to inform Ghanaians that the passion for Christ was the true beauty of the life of the many Men and Women who professed the Evangelical Counsels and follow Christ more closely in this state of life.
The opening ceremony at the Christian Village was attended by many dignitaries including Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, Bishop of Ho, who was the Guest Speaker; Most Rev. Gabriel Justice Anokye, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi; Rev. Fr. Dominic Apee, M.Af, President of the Conference of Major Superiors, Ghana; who chaired the opening ceremony; Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Francis Appiah-Kubi, President of National Union of Ghana Diocesan Priests’ Associations (NUGDPA).
The Year of Consecrated Life was declared to enable members of the Consecrated Life affirm that the crises that affected the world and the Church, also affected them and they need to be encourage to remain hopeful with trust in the Lord.
It was also to help the Religious live the present with passion of Christ, which speaks of love, true friendship, and the desire to help Christian people all over the world to realise and appreciate the beauty of following Christ in the various types of Religious Vocations.
The Year of Consecrated Life was closed with a Eucharistic Mass at the Immaculate Conception Church at South Suntreso, Kumasi, presided over by Archbishop Anokye and concelebrated by about 30 Religious and Diocesan Priests including Rev. Fr. Dr. Louis Tuffour, Vicar General of Kumasi; Rev. Fr. Peter Osei Amoateng, Parish Priest of South Suntreso and Superiors of the Men Religious Congregations.
The Church was filled to capacity with mostly Reverend Sisters from the various Religious Congregations and Parishioners of the St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception Church.
In a homily, Archbishop Anokye urged the Religious to lead holy lives according to their Congregational charisma and be united more to Christ than earthly pleasures.
He reminded them that they did not choose themselves into this Vocation, but through the power of God, saying that formerly they were strangers but had been brought close to the Lord through the choice of the Vocation.
The Archbishop entreated the Consecrated Men and Women to be thankful to God and be grateful to Him for their chosen Vocation, commending Pope Francis for declaring this special Year.
He encouraged them to live joyfully in their Vocation, adhering firmly to their Religious Vows and living in a communal spirit or individual lives in a community, urging them to let the joy of the Lord be their strength.
He admonished them to continue to make the Religious Life a dignified one, be spiritually powerful, show reverence wherever they found themselves and avoid ostentatious lives so as to attract the youth to aspire to Religious Life.
The Consecrated Men and Women with lighted candles recited the Prayer of Consecrated Life to rededicate themselves to their Religious Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.
Fr. Apee thanked the Religious for participating in the Ghana version of the Year, praying that as R,eligious they would continue to evangelise in all parts of the country.
He said the gathering of all Religious in Kumasi for the celebration was the first of its kind in the Country, hoping that the Conference of Major Superiors would organise more activities to share experiences and ideas of Religious Life.