Catholics of the St. Joseph Quasi-Parish at Alakple in Ghana’s Keta-Akatsi Diocese have held a Mass to bid farewell to their first Parish Priest, Fr. Mark Akpene Etsey, who had served the people of God for seven years.
The July 4 Mass, organised by the Church Committee, was to thank him for his dedicated service to the community and to wish him well in his new assignment.
The farewell Mass was attended by over 600 people who had filled the Church to capacity including the faithful of the Alakple Church and its two Outstations of the Sacred Heart Church at Atito, and the Holy Cross Church at Salo.
Also in attendance were Alakple Catholics domiciled in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Volta, Western and Eastern Regions as well as some non-Catholics and non-Christians. Among the dignitaries were Togbi Agawu, III, a “war” Chief of Alakple and a staunch Catholic.
Fr. Etsey expressed gratitude to the people of God and Alakple for their immense support while he served as their Pastor and urged them to give their maximum support to his successor, Fr. Michael Doe Gardemor.
He encouraged the faithful to endeavour to live in unity and the love of God and thanked the Church Committee members for their dedication, commitment and support to him in ensuring that things were done properly according to the norms of the Church.
Fr. Etsey, who will mark his 22nd Priestly anniversary on July 17, also lauded the benevolence and humanitarian gestures many people had given to the Church and asked that same support be given to his successor.
He said the large attendance to the farewell Mass was an indication of the true love the attendees had for him, thanking the people of Alakple for heartily welcoming him when he first arrived in Alakple on November 14, 2013.
The Church Committee led by its Chairperson, Madam Janet Kporku on behalf of the people of God, presented a citation to Fr. Etsey for his selfless service to the community, praising him for leading the community grow further in spirituality.
“During your stay in St. Joseph Quasi-Parish, Alakple, you devoted your time to helping grow and develop the Church most evidently is your interest both in the main parish and in the two outstations, the Sacred Heart Church at Atito, and the Holy Cross Church at Salo,” the Citation noted.
As the first Priest-in-charge and first Parish Priest of the Quasi-Parish, the Citation added, “We, the faithful want to assure you that we will continue to be a vibrant Quasi-Parish by your teachings and selfless leadership you exhibited.”
The moving part of the ceremony was when an unending queue of people presented gifts both cash and kind to say thank you to Fr. Etsey, some busting into tears, probably an indication of how they were going to miss him.
The Most Rev. Anthony Kwami Adanuty, Bishop of Keta-Akatsi, now Emeritus, appointed Fr. Mark Etsey as the first Priest-in- Charge of St. Joseph Church on October 31, 2013, and he arrived in Alakple on November 14, 2013.
With the elevation of St. Joseph Church to the status of a Quasi-Parish on October 2, 2017 by the Most Rev. Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, SVD, the current Bishop of Keta-Akatsi, Fr. Etsey was appointed as the first Parish Priest.
Fr. Michael Doe Gardemor, took over from Fr. Etsey on March 14, 2021 after his canonically installation by Msgr. Peter Huletey, the Vicar General of Keta-Akatsi.
The Catholic Church was established in Alakple in 1930 after earlier attempts failed. In 2004, the Church building was consecrated and dedicated by the Most Rev. Anthony Kwami Adanuty.
