The Bishop of Ghana’s Yendi Catholic Diocese, the Most Rev. Matthew Yitiereh, has advised Priests not to be weighed down by their human limitations regarding their call to the Priesthood but remain focus in practicing their vocations.
The Bishop was delivering the homily at the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral in Yendi on 29th October, 2022, during which he ordained Reverends Joseph Nweyada and Matthew Kyei to the Priesthood. The ordination is his first since his Episcopal ordination and nstallation on August 20, 2022.
Most Rev. Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai, SVD., Bishop Emeritus of Yendi Diocese and fifty-three Priests from the host Diocese, Tamale Archdiocese, Navrongo-Bolgatanga, Wa and Damongo Dioceses who included Very Rev. Frs. David Kajal, the Vicar General (VG) of Yendi Diocese, his predecessor Tomy Thomas, SVD., Thaddeus Kuusah, President of the National Union of Ghana Diocesan Priests’ Association and Cletus Akorsa, the Acting Cathedral Administrator, among others, concelebrated the Mass.
Citing the examples of the calling of Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Matthew, the Twelve Apostles and others to illustrate his point, Bishop Yitiereh said to the ordinandi, “My dear Priests to-be-soon, first note that the requirement that Jesus considered was not so much about University degrees. Some, if not all, had some limitations. For example, Moses the great leader of Israel was a stammerer and yet he was called into a role that required delivering speeches.”
He added: “David was called to be the king of a great nation when his only experience in life was to play music and take care of sheep. The prophet Jeremiah felt not adequate to carry out the Lord’s assignment.”
“All of them might have felt very inadequate for their assignments. Yes, they were aware of their limitation, but they relied on God’s power and assurances to be on their side”. So focus on what you can do in your chosen vocation and don’t be weighed down by your limitations”, the Bishop advised.
Underscoring the nobility and yet sacrificial nature of the Priesthood, he stated that Priests are called to share in the Sacramental and in the ministerial Priesthood of Christ. Hence, he said the authenticity of Priestly life and the effectiveness of their ministry depend on their profound union with Christ without whom Priests can do nothing.
He noted that the Sacrament of ordination expresses this very point, explaining that through this Sacrament, the Priest is totally inserted into Christ.
In this regard, he urged Priests to administer the Sacraments with faith, reverence and with sincerity. “It is by the Sacraments that we Priests communicate Christ. We Priests make this possible”, he declared, adding, “This as a privilege even the saints and angels cannot do”.
The Prelate also entreated Priests to take their spirituality seriously and avoid the temptation of neglecting their work on account of laziness. “Lack of willingness to serve is a direct contradiction of the very nature of a Priest. Be the type of Priest that smells like their sheep as Pope Francis puts it”, he advised.
He appealed to the laity to support their Priests in their work and also collaborate with them in the pursuit of Jesus’ command to the disciples and by extension all Christians to proclaim the gospel to all nations.
He also appealed to them to lovingly correct Priests as they would correct their own children when they err instead of crucifying them, explaining that negative criticism will lead to unhappiness, misery, bitterness, and depression.
He thanked the families of the newly ordained Priests and all who guided and supported them in their process of discernment and preparation and appealed to all and sundry to support them with intense prayer. He presented the Priests with Mass kits. Their families, friends, other individuals and societies also gave them gifts.
The Rector of St. Victor’s Major Seminary (SVS), Very Rev. Msgr. Thomas Anamooh, had earlier presented the ordinandi to the Bishop to ordain them to the Priesthood, having testified to their worthiness for ordination.
The ordination brings the number of Diocesan Priests to 29 out of which 19 are working in the Diocese while 2 are working in the seminaries with 6 others outside the country. There are 13 Religious Priests also working in the Diocese.
Rev. Fr. Nweyada who gave the vote of thanks, expressed their gratitude to Bishops Yitiereh and Boi-Nai, their families, teachers and Formators, their Retreat Preacher Rev. Fr. Basil Tengkye, Priests and Religious, the Ordination Planning Committee and all who through diverse ways have supported them up to this point.
Fr. Nweyada, a former student of Salaga Senior High School, was born at Jayomdo in the Nanumba North District in the Yendi Diocese to pagan parents. After a period of voluntary teaching, he gained admission to pursue a four-year Bachelor of Science programme in Mathematics at Navrongo campus of UDS where he majored in Statistics and successfully completed in 2012. Having converted to Christianity in 2001, he played various roles in Church including leading his community during worship as a voluntary Prayer Leader.
In August 2013, he was admitted into SVS and began his formation with one year spiritual studies at St. Michael Propaedeutic Major Seminary at Kaleo in the Wa Diocese. In 2014, he proceeded to St. Augustine Millennium Major Seminary in Tamale for his philosophical studies and continued his theological studies at SVS in 2017.
He had one year of pastoral experience at Good Shepherd Parish at Gnani near Yendi after which he returned to SVS to complete his formation. He was ordained a Deacon on 20th November, 2021, by Most Rev. Philip Naameh, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale at SVS campus.
Fr. Kyei hails from Nsuta-Anansu in the Sekyere Central District of Ashanti Region and was born into a polygamous family. After his basic education at Drobonso and Tafo/Pankrono, he furthered his education at St Joseph Minor Seminary/Secondary at Ashanti Mampong and completed in 2004. He returned to his Alma Mater for his post-secondary education and to begin his formation.
On completion, he joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorist Fathers and Brothers) and entered their propaedeutic programme at Scala House at Ho from 2007-2008 from where he later gained admission to study philosophy at the Spiritan University College at Ejisu.
Fr. Kyei entered the Redemptorists Novitiate (2011-2012) in Enugu, Nigeria and made his first religious profession of Vows of Chastity, Obedience and Poverty on 1st August, 2012, prior to his theological studies at Saints Peter and Paul Major Seminary at Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, from 2012-2016. In 2017, he applied and was accepted by the Diocese of Yendi to continue his discernment and formation towards the Priesthood.
In 2020, he had one year period of probation and learning of the indigenous language and culture of the people at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral in Yendi. Later, he had a brief period of pastoral experience and in 2021, he was sent to SVS for a refresher course in theology.
Hundreds of the faithful of the Diocese, some Religious men and women, Seminarians as well the families of the newly ordained Priests, attended the ordination Mass.
By Francis E. Monnie
