A new Grotto, named after Our Lady of Lourdes, has been dedicated to the glory of God as part of activities to mark the 30th of St. Mark Catholic Church at Ashongman Estate, Accra.
The dedication was performed by the Most Rev. John Kobina Louis, an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese on Sunday, April 20, 2024.
The 30th Anniversary celebration is on the theme, “Hope and Progress: Celebrating 30 years of Hope and Community.”
As part of the Mass, forty-five candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation during which Bishop Louis encouraged godparents of the confirmandi to be mentors to their godchildren.
He said, “My dear godparents you have a big responsibility. We have had occasions where some are confirmed and the following Sunday and subsequent ones they don’t come to church.”
“You are adult Catholics who have become their godparents, their spiritual parents so monitor them, mentor them, coach them, direct them and counsel them,” he said.
He encouraged them to always follow up on the wellbeing of their godchildren since they had now become their spiritual parents.
“You have become a parent, a godparent, meaning spiritual parent. The person becomes your child in spirit. Please follow them up”, he urged.
For his Easter message to the congregation, Bishop Louis said that God did wonderful things on the third day.
Citing Abraham and Isaac, Joseph, Moses and Jonah, he recounted the wonderful things that happened on the third day, in relation to Christ’s resurrection.
He said, “This is the power of the resurrection. As in the case of Abraham and Isaac and Isaac coming back on the third day, so Jesus the son of God came back to life on the third day, as the cupbearer in prison in Egypt was released on the third day so on the third day Jesus came out from the prison of the tomb and as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days so Jesus came out from their belly of the earth on the third day.”
He added that Christians should have faith in the resurrection of Christ and that as St. Mark Catholic Church celebrates its 30th anniversary, the resurrection of Christ should deepen their faith and hope in Christ and cause spiritual progress.
On the occasion of their 30th Anniversary, citations were awarded to past resident Priests, former PPC chairpersons and some committed members of the Church for their sacrifice and service to the Church.
Citations were also awarded to the Society of African Missions of Queen of Peace, Madina who began the Church community thirty years ago.
The St. Mark Catholic church community will climax its 30th Anniversary celebration on April 27, 2025.
By: Veronica Sena Amenya.
