The Divine Word Missionaries (SVD), Ghana Province, have organised a thanksgiving Mass for their late confrere, Bro. Steven Kwame Domelevo, SVD, with his family in his home Parish, St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church, Adeemra in the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom, Afram Plains, in Ghana’s Eastern Region.
The November 29, 2024 Thanksgiving Mass was graced by two Bishops: Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, bishop of Ho, and Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, bishop of Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate.
Also present were a score of priests and Religious from within and outside Donkorkrom, both SVD and Diocesan, among whom were: Br. Charles Ashun, SVD, Provincial Councilor, representing the Provincial Superior of SVD, Ghana Province, Fr. Atsu Cosmas Mesigah, SVD, Provincial Superior Delegatus, Lome – Togo, Fr. John Quainoo from Konongo-Mampong Diocese, and nephew to the late Br. Stephen, Fr. Francis Kwadwo Allah, SVD, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Kwahu Tafo, Fr. Lambert Asoba, SVD, Director of SVD Language Centre, Accra.
The family of the deceased were also present for the thanksgiving Mass, ably led by Mr. Daniel Domelevo, former Auditor General, and only surviving brother to late brother Stephen.
The Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, in his capacity as the hosting Bishop, in a welcome address at the beginning of the Thanksgiving Mass, extended a warm welcome to the Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, the Bishop of Ho, the Chief Celebrant, and who happened to be the Novitiate mate of late Br. Stephen, as he introduced the purpose of the Mass.
“I wish to welcome all of you to today’s Eucharistic celebration at which we give thanks to God for the gift of the life of our brother, Stephen Kwame Domelevo, his parents and siblings whom the Lord had called to himself. We are praying for them asking that the Lord will grant them eternal rest,” he said, adding that “We are here to pray with one heart and mind, asking that as the Lord Himself promised our brothers and sisters the resurrection of life, it will become a reality for them”.
In a homily during the Thanksgiving Mass, Bishop Fianu underlined the fact that having come to the end of the Church year, it was important for the faithful to contemplate on the end time; “how the world and ourselves will come to our end”.
Reflecting on the First Reading, which was of the day proper, the prelate drew the attention of the faithful to the somewhat ‘frightening’ message conveyed in the words of the Reading (Rev.20:1-4,11-21:2), how the seas and oceans and the ground will lay bare their dead, connoting that “nobody will escape God’s Judgement Day. Whether you got drowned in water, or you were buried in the ground, you will not escape God’s Judgement Day,” he reiterated.
Bishop Fianu however highlighted the section of the same Reading that was meant to serve as a consolation to the faithful “I saw someone sitting on a large white throne, and around this person were those whose names were written in the Book of life,” explaining further that those whose names were in the book of life, took the side of the one sitting on the white throne, but those whose names were not in the Book of life were thrown into the burning fire together with the dragons.
Making a supposition that all Christians are looking forward to their names being written in the Book of life; into attaining eternal life, the Preacher then put forward this soul-searching question: “What will make us be among those whose names are written in the Book of life?” In other words, “what will give us eternal life?”
His Lordship intimated that the answer to the above question was found in the Gospel Reading (Lk.21:29-33), where Jesus said “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my Word will not pass”.
Explaining further, the Bishop said “If we know the word of God, if we live by the Word of God, we have eternal life. If we want our names to be in the Book of life, Jesus tells us, we must listen to his Word. When we listen to his word, we don’t listen with one ear and let it out through the other ear. We take it into our mind and into our hearts, then we work on it, so that it becomes our way of life”.
He added that “the Word guides our life, so that whatever we do in life, will be according to the Word of Jesus Christ. The word of Jesus Christ is in the Scriptures, in the Gospels. We know where to find it. We know how to live by it. But we need to be determined, to decide that we want to live the Word of God, so that in the end, our names will be in the book of life”.
The SVD Bishop shared the believe that Bro. Domelevo, together with his late parents and siblings, for whom the Mass was being offered, were in Heaven, because “they heard the Word of God; they lived the Word of God and because they lived for Christ, what Jesus is saying and what John is telling us in the First Reading is what we believe they are sharing in, eternal life. They are sharing in eternal life with God; and so that is why I can understand that even though, we had announced that this will be a Memorial Mass, the family requested that it be changed to a Thanksgiving Mass,” he intimated.
The Preacher further underscored that “We are not only having Mass in memory of them but we are giving thanks to God for their lives here on earth, for what they lived among us, and we are giving thanks to God for the faith we have that their names are written in the Book of life, and that is the faith on which we base ourselves to celebrate the Thanksgiving”.
Believing therefore that the deceased were in the presence of God, the Christians were encouraged to pray through them – “We, who are still journeying in this life, we can ask them to pray for us, so that we can understand the word of God, so that we can live the Word of God, and one day, also write our names in the book of life”. In that way, he added, “we would be united with them in the end. This is the faith that we profess”.
“So, today, as we give thanks to God for their lives, let us ask ourselves, do we desire to have our names in the Book of life? If yes, and I want to believe it is yes for all of us, then we also need to ask ourselves, how are we listening to the Word of God? How are we listening to what Jesus is teaching us? He says his Word will not pass away, so if his Word will not pass away, then that is what will take us to eternal life,” the bishop underlined.
“If that is what will take us to eternal life, then today, let us pray that we would be good listeners of the Word of God, and we would be ready to do what the Word says in our lives, so that we can have our names in the Book of life,” he implored.
The prelate further intimated that what can strengthen the faithful and make it possible for them to live the Word of God is the ‘Food’ that Jesus gives them every time they participate in the Sacrifice of the Mass.
“When we eat at His table, he strengthens us. He strengthens us to live out what we hear from his Word, and so we pray that as we receive the Eucharist today, all of us will be strengthened to continue our journey with Christ, so that in the end, we can also be one with our brothers and sisters for whose lives we are giving thanks to God today,” he prayed.
In a vote of thanks, Mr. Daniel Domelevo brother of late Br. Domelevo, who had lost six siblings out of 9, along with their parents, explained the reason for the family’s choice of a Thanksgiving Mass over a Memorial Mass. He said “Thanksgiving because Scripture tells us in 1 Cor. 5:18 in everything, give thanks, hence, no matter our lot, we still thank God for what he has done for us”.
According to him, the choice of a Thanksgiving Mass was also precipitated by an appearance of the late Br. Domelevo to him in a dream, who asked him, “Why Memorial? Give thanks to God,” and as soon as he had brought this to the Bishop, it was taken up, hence the reason for Thanksgiving instead of a Memorial Mass.
Mr. Domelevo was particularly grateful to the Most Rev. Alphonse Asiedu, who had been very much in contact, and seeing to the planning of the Thanksgiving Mass.
He was equally grateful to all the priests and religious who came from outside Donkorkrom, especially his nephew, Fr. John Quainoo, whom he confessed had been working very closely with him on the planning, even while he was away from the country, and also Fr. Atsu Cosmos, his direct cousin.
He was also thankful to the religious and Diocesan Priests from the Vicariate that had made out time to come and pray with them, as well as the students of St. Mary’s Vocational/Technical Senior High School, and most especially to the Parishioners of St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church, Adeemra.
He also took time to let the Christian community understand why there could not be a funeral for their late Brother, but a Memorial Mass in Accra earlier on, and then a thanksgiving Mass at Adeemra – It is simply not in SVD tradition to hold a funeral for a deceased confrere.
Rev. Fr. Vincent Amuzu Asafo, SVD, Bishop Secretary and Assistant Cathedral Administrator of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Donkorkrom, who happened to have been the emcee for the day, had read the biography of Br. Domelevo to the faithful before the commencement of the Mass.
Mr. Benjamin Gafa, the Church president, on behalf of the Parish, presented a simple envelope to the family, as a little support, which they appreciated but returned it to support the Church.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM, Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate / Sister Communicator)
