The Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana (CMSR- GH) at the 2024 May Day Games and Business Fair at the St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School, Cantonments, Accra on May 1, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, has launched the Journey to the Jubilee Year 2025 on the theme “Send forth your Spirit Lord and renew the face of the earth”- Ps 104:30.
Launching the journey to the Jubilee Year for Consecrated Men and Women, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Paul Saa- Dade Ennin SMA, the President of the Conference, gave a brief about the celebration and explained the focus of the year-long activities -“Protecting the environment, our responsibility our future “.
He quoted Pope Francis as reaching out to the whole world that mother earth is mourning and crying for the destruction being caused and the silent action of humans to protect her. Galamsey, destruction of natural resources and the abuse of nature is a worrying reality and all must come together to fight and protect mother earth.
At the conclusion of its biannual meeting at the Arnold Janssen Spirituality Centre at Bortianor Hills, Tuba, Accra in March this year, the Consecrated Men and Women expressed their readiness for the upcoming Jubilee Year 2025, themed “Pilgrims of Hope”.
A Jubilee Year is a Sacred Year celebrated every 25 years as a “Year of God’s favor” as written in the Book of Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-4) and proclaimed by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19. It is a moment of grace, a “Kairos moment” of restoration and reconciliation (Leviticus 25:8-17).
It is also a prophetic moment during which everyone is called to “listen to the voice of the Lord” and witness to the Gospel values of justice, reconciliation, peace, and solidarity.
The theme of “Pilgrims of Hope” invites all to live out the adventurous virtues of being “pilgrims”, and not tourists in this world; to be agents and ministers of Hope, amidst the challenges and crises of our time.
At the Aquinas School on May 1, Rev. Fr. Bernard Adjei Appiah, SVD, the President of Africa Religious Union, Ghana (ARUG) read out the planned activities which include a talk on Ecology o May 9; talk on Consecrated Life and Today’s Challenges in Community Living on July 6; and the Celebration of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14.
Others are National Celebration of Silver Jubilee of Consecrated Life from January 31 to February 2, 2025 with Peter cardinal Appiah Turkson as the Guest of Honour. Between March and September 2025, the Conference would raise awareness on the Ecology.
At the launching of the Journey to the Jubilee was the Most Rev. Narh Asare, Auxiliary Bishop of Accra, who presided over a Mass preceding the launch.
The day brought together Priests and Religious from the Accra Province and Catholics from the Accra Archdiocese who had gathered to mark the day with games and business fair.
As part of its campaign to promote Laudato Si’, the Conference donated 500 seedlings to Catholics of the Accra Archdiocese who had participated in the Games and the Business Fair.
By Sr. Gifty Anastasia Blewu, SMMC
