Catholic Church ordains seven new priests

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, has said Ghana needs now, more than ever before, men and women willing to sacrifice for the development of the country.

At a priestly ordination at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra last Saturday, the Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle said: “We need men and women who are ready to sacrifice themselves, even their own comfort, and are ready to die for Ghana and their fellow citizens.”

“This is what the priesthood represents,” he told the newly ordained Catholic priests.

Newly ordained

The newly ordained priests are Rev. Fr Albert Apewe Amonzem and Rev. Fr Donatus Pallu, both from the Saints Anne & Joachim Parish, Teshie; Rev. Fr Emmanuel Darfour Appah from the St Francis of Assisi Parish, Awoshie, and Rev. Fr Bright John Elorm Fumey from the Blessed Clementina Parish, Ashaiman.

The rest are Rev. Fr Emmanuel Kwofie of the Corpus Christi Parish, Sakumono Estates; Rev. Fr Eric Senam Asagba of the Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Dansoman, and Rev. Fr Dodji Kossi Gadessodji of the St Kizito Parish, Nima.

The seven had gone through a 10-year formation period to prepare themselves adequately to enter the priesthood.

Role models

The Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle charged them to be role models by their very lives as priests.

He exhorted them to let the people they were going to lead “see Christ in you by your Christ-like purity”.

According to him, every priest was called to offer himself to Christ, adding: “His very life is to be the Gospel of Christ for people to read, people to encounter and for people to emulate.”

What priesthood is about

The Archbishop reminded the priests that to accept to be a priest was a call to follow Christ in total love and service, in obedience and detached from material considerations and possessions.

The people of God, he said, would like to see them as the sacrament of Christ in the way they interacted and carried themselves about.