At the maiden launch of the Accra Archdiocesan Catholic Laity Council Programmes for 2022 at the St. Kizito Parish at Nima, Mr. Timothy Sowah, Chairman of the Archdiocesan Council, has explained that Parishes in the Archdiocese have the opportunity to benefit from the formation of effective Parish Laity Councils.
“The Parish Laity Council so formed and in their desire to function as required by the constitution shall require all the representatives to submit the ensuing year’s programmes latest by 31st of October each year,” he said at the February 20, 2022 launching.
These programmes, he stated “shall be analyzed and appropriate spiritual programmes that would benefit the entire parishioners will be selected and harmonised as a draft or proposed programme for further scrutiny and adoption by the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC).”
“The programme so adopted would be published on a canvass and splashed admiringly on the walls of the parish as the parish’s owned annual programme of activities” he added.
According to Mr. Sowah, this effort would not only save the Parish Pastoral Councils the headache of attempting to draw up annual programmes but will invariably exact ownership of the lay apostolate of the Parish.
He noted, “A programme so adopted from a group in the Parish Laity Council may be supported with the required logistics and resources in order for the programme to assume a wholly parish programme.”
The resourcefulness of the laity should make the Parish richer and also serve as a channel and a tool of knowledge, he added.
Touching on the composition of the Parish Laity Council, he said “Article 14 of the Constitution outlines the structure and organization of the Parish Laity Council as follows: 2 representatives of catechists, one representative each of recognized lay organizations – 12 of them, one representative of the Basic/ Small Christian Communities, one representative of Laity Committee of an outstation – this nullifies the parish laity committees in some parishes, 2 representatives of PPC, 1 representative of the Youth Council and Women Council respectively.”
He schooled the lay faithful during the launching at Nima St. Kizito that the executives are elected to positions of chairperson, vice chairperson, recording secretary, and financial secretary while the Chairperson of Parish Youth Council (PYC) and President of Council of Catholic Women add to the number of executive committee members.
He explained that the Laity Council was not out to take the shine out of any chairperson or president of groups and societies or any recognised Lay Organisations but to coordinate, monitor and facilitate the respective charisms and apostolates of individuals and groups for our own good and the good of the Church.
“The Laity Council is not and will not be in competition for power with the Parish Pastoral Council especially at the Parish level but to collaborate with the PPC and the Church to ensure that in future, persons who are elected or appointed to PPC are people who have received some appreciable training and formation through the programmes of the Laity Council,” the Accra Archdiocesan Laity Chairman stated.
At Archdiocesan Catholic Laity Council level, he said it was the highest coordinating body of all apostolates including recognised Lay Organisations and Leaders of Deanery Executives.
According to the Laity Constitution, the Accra Archdiocesan Catholic Laity Council is also a governing body apart from it being the highest coordinating body, Mr. Sowah said, indicating, “One of its mandate is to coordinates and articulates at all levels the desires of individuals and groups’ efforts in support of the apostolate of the church.”
Reflecting on the aims of the Laity Council, Mr. Sowah said, “As a formidable lay leadership entity and representative of the laity in the archdiocese, the council is mandated by the constitution to promote the spiritual formation and education of the entire lay people in the church in order to help them embrace wholeheartedly and unconditionally, the call to holiness addressed to all the people of God”.
The Council, he noted shall serve the Church through the activities of its constituent bodies, adding that at the Archdiocesan level, the constituent bodies include Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, Archdiocesan Catholic Youth Council, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, St. Anthony Guild and Archdiocesan Union of Catholic Catechists.”
The others, he mentioned, were Knights of Marshall, Knights of St. John International, Legion of Mary, Society of St. Vincent De Paul, Sacred Heart Enthronement Centre, Accra Archdiocese, Catholic Professional Guilds made up of all the Guilds Eg Catholic Nurses Guild, Catholic Lawyers Guilds, Catholic Association of Media Practitioners – Ghana (CAMP-G) and others as well as until recently, Catholic Association for Social and Religious Advancement (COSRA).
According to him, bodies like Council of Catholic Women and Youth Council are the umbrella bodies of all women groups and youth groups respectively, explaining that under the Council of Catholic Women, Women Groups like Catholic Women Association, Christian Mothers Association, Ladies of Marshall, Ladies Auxiliary of St John International, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus and others come under it.
By Damian Avevor
