The Accra Archdiocesan Catholic Laity Council’s 2025 Plenary Assembly took a powerful turn on Saturday, December 6, 2025, when Rev. Fr. Gabriel Obodai Torgbor, Chaplain of the Mamprobi Deanery Laity Council, delivered a bold and stirring message: “The future of the Catholic Church rests squarely on the shoulders of its lay faithful”.
Speaking on the theme “Strengthening Lay Apostolate for the Renewal of the Catholic Church,” Fr. Torgbor reminded participants gathered at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Odorkor, that renewal will not come by chance but by the active, Spirit-led involvement of every baptized Catholic.
“The laity are not spectators. They are sharers in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission of Christ,” he declared, citing Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium 31.
Fr. Torgbor stressed that the Church’s growth is impossible when most of its members remain passive. According to him, the lay apostolate is the Church’s greatest untapped force, especially in a world facing moral confusion, declining clergy numbers, and rising secular pressure.
He urged Catholics to deepen their spiritual lives through prayer, Scripture, Eucharistic devotion, and moral integrity, insisting that “apostolate without spirituality becomes empty activism.”
The priest also called for robust lay formation, active parish involvement, and courageous Christian witness in workplaces, politics, digital spaces, and family life.
“The world, not the parish, is the primary mission field. The Church will be renewed when the laity lives their faith boldly where it matters most,” he emphasized.
He challenged both clergy and lay faithful to embrace collaborative ministry, warning that clericalism and lay inferiority complexes continue to weaken the Church’s ability to evangelize effectively.
Fr. Torgbor concluded with a rallying call for intentional action: formation centres, mentorship for young leaders, digital evangelization, family spirituality, and stewardship.
“Renewal will not come from documents or conferences. It will come from laymen and women who rise with conviction to live their baptismal calling,” he said.
The Assembly ended with renewed commitment among participants to strengthen the lay apostolate across the Accra Archdiocese.
By Theresa Kpordzo//Newswatchgh.com
