Plans are far advanced for the 2022 Accra Archdiocesan May Day Games and Business Fair at the El-Wak Stadium as the official launch kicks-off this Sunday, April 24, 2022 at three Parishes within the Archdiocese.
The launching of the May Day event which is a Laity-driven programme will take place at the Christ the King Parish, Cantonments; Sts Thomas More and John Fisher at Achimota and St. Kizito, Nima.
Being championed by the Accra Archdiocesan Catholic Laity Council in collaboration with the Catholic Professionals Guilds (CPG) under the auspices of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, this year’s event on Monday, May 2, 2022, which is aimed at fulfilling the Synodality, is expected to be attended by over 10,000 Catholics including all the Clergy in Accra.
With the launching on Sunday, April 24, it is expected that all Parish Laity Councils in collaboration with Parish Priests and Pastoral Councils would organise the Laity including children to fully participate in this annual Archdiocesan gathering which is under the auspices of the Archbishop of Accra.
The May Day Games which was started by the CPG in 2016 at the St. Thomas Aquinas School, Cantonments, has the blessing and patronage of the former Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle and the current Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie.
The event was moved from the St. Thomas Aquinas to the Mary Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church at Airport West in 2019. As a result of the COVID-19 restrictions, last year’s (2021) May Day Games took a different dimension where Professional Guilds had the opportunity to make strong proposals to the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra regarding how the Guilds can make impact in the Church. The event was hosted by St. Bakhita Catholic Church at Community 20, Lashibi.
The fun games and business fair, is one of the activities put in place to bring together all the laity and Catholic Professionals to understand their roles and to make their presence in the Church count.
It has been the believe of the organisers of this annual event which has come to stay that it is time the laity brought out their expertise to bear as they partner clergy to build the Church. Thus, a passionate appeal over the years has been made to the laity to involve themselves in the activities of their various Guilds, Parishes and the Archdiocese as a whole.
Reminiscing What Archbishops of Accra have said About the Event
As a flashback, during the 2018 event, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle reminded the Laity who are Catholic Professionals that their profession was a gift and vocation from God and they had to sharpen, safeguard and protect it to the highest level of competence.
He noted that events like the May Day Games was a healthy one which should challenge the professionals to be ready to give out their best to the Church and various work places.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle stated that May Day was a time to show appreciation for the gift of workers and to showcase the beauty of work that workers contribute to the growth and development of the nation.
In 2019, the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, who kick-start the games with a Mass, called on all Catholic Professionals in the Archdiocese to rise and help build the Church with their professional expertise.
In a homily at a Mass at the Mary Mother of Good Counsel Church, Archbishop Kwofie stressed on the need for Catholic Professionals to harness their potentials for the growth of the Church.
He urged the Laity to make good use of God’s gift to them, saying, “Whatever you have to do to help the Church, do it and do it well to the glory of God.”
He noted that events like the Workers Day was a healthy one which should challenge the professionals to be ready to give out their best to the Church and at their various work places.
Archbishop Kwofie entreated Catholic Workers to work faithfully and give image to the Church at their work places, urging them to let the ethics and virtues of their various professions shine at their work places.
He assured the Professionals of his readiness to work and recognize them in his episcopacy, urging them to endeavour to go all out to identify all Catholic professionals in the Church and reach out to them including Politicians.
The Archbishop stated that May Day was a time to show appreciation for the gift of workers and to showcase the beauty of work that workers contribute to the growth and development of the nation
Archbishop Kwofie urged Catholic Professionals to let their light shine wherever they found themselves, commending the organizers for the initiative of bringing together through fun games and Business Fair.
By Damian Avevor
