The leaders of the Consecrated Men and Women of the Ho Diocese in Ghana’s Volta Region, has embarked on a procession announcing their collective duty to the environment to protect and safeguard mother earth on June 15, 2024 on the principal Streets of Sokode Gbogame.
The Holy Father, Pope Francis on May 9, 2024 officially declared 2025 a year of Jubilee with a papal bull, called or titled “Spes Non Confudit,” meaning “Hope Does Not Disappoint.” Thus, The Holy Year in question will begin with the ceremony of the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve 2024.
The central message of the Jubilee 2025 is “Hope”. In accordance with ancient tradition the Pope proclaims every 25 Year a Jubilee. The Jubilee Year is also referred to as Holy Year. During the Jubilee Year, the Christ faithful who will travel to Rome for the celebration of the Holy Year are referred to as “pilgrims of hope.”
Rev. Fr. John Helu, CSSp, the President of the Consecrated Men and Women of the Ho Diocese, shared few words of Pope Francis with the Religious and lay present in St. Anthony Catholic Church, Sokode Gbogame.
“Those who will celebrate it in their own local Churches are all pilgrims through their prayer journeys, thus, Jubilee is a time to be renewed in hope. It is true; God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope,” he stated.
He added: “If we can remember, on 21st January, 2024, Pope Francis declared 2024 as a The Year of Prayer and urged all of us Christ faithful to pray for peace; especially for Ukraine, Israel and Palestine.
Also, he asked the Religious to remember that, Pope Francis in the Papal bull, decreed that on Sunday, December this year, in every Cathedral and co-Cathedral, Diocesan Bishops are to celebrate Mass as the solemn opening of the Jubilee Year.
According to him, the Jubilee the Church is preparing to celebrate would officially come to an end with the ceremony of closing of the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on January 6, 2026, which marks the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
He added: “The Dicastery for Evangelization encourages various arms of the Church to carry out some forms of spiritual preparation for 2025 Year of Jubilee.”
It is in this light that, the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious Ghana (CMSR-GH) suggested that the Candle Light Celebrations should revolve around the theme “Care for creation – Protection of the environment” in accordance with the directives of the Dicastery for Vita Consecrata (Consecrated Life) and the journey towards Jubilee 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope.
The Theme chosen by the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious in Ghana for Ghana’s celebration is “Send forth Your Spirit and Renew the face of the earth” – Psalm 104:30
Fr. Helu noted that without the earth, one would not be here, saying, “It is the earth that supports our life, different life forms and all natural resources.”
“As such, our focus for today’s Candle Light Procession as part of our preparation towards 2025 Year of Jubilee should be geared on: Protecting the Environment which is in line with “Laudato Si”, an Encyclical/ Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Francis on Care for our Common Home the Earth).”
He emphasised that what the Holy Father wants to teach us is that we must wake up, take good care of the earth our common home so that we on earth today and the generations that will come after we are gone will find the earth a healthy environment that supports life.
“Let us keep our environment, homes, schools, Churches and office premises green. It is believe that when the last tree is gone, the last man will be gone too,” he advised, wishing all Catholics a happy spiritual journey as they prepare towards 2025 Jubilee Year.
Present at the gathering was the Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu SVD, the Catholic Bishop of the Ho Diocese, Rev. Fr. Anthony Akpalu, Parish Priest of St. Anthony Catholic Church, Sokode Gbogame, Members of the Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church (SMMC), Apostles of the Sacred Heart, Redemptorist Priests and Spiritan Priests.
Bishop Fianu planted a tree, a symbolic gesture encouraging all to come on board and protect the environment
Story and photos by Sr. Gifty Anastasia Blewu SMMC (Sister Communicator)
