The Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, has urged the parishioners of Our Lady of Assumption (OLA) Catholic Church at New Achimota, Accra to intensify the praying of the Rosary for the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In a homily at a Mass on Sunday, August 20, 2023 to climax the 40th Anniversary celebration of the OLA Church Community, he encouraged the almost 800 parishioners from OLA and her three Outstation (St. Daniel Comboni, Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Cecilia) to pray the Rosary daily and not decorate it around their necks.
Prompting them of the power in praying the Rosary, he said “Mary’s maternal intercession has brought you far” as a Parish Community, adding, she (Mary) is praying on your behalf.
Bishop Asare advised the lay faithful to increase their faith by reading and taking the Word of God seriously because ignorance of the Word is ignorance of Christ.
Asking them to make good use of the Bible, he urged them to intensify the evangelisation mission drive of the Church, saying, it was time Catholics as part of evangelisation made the needed efforts to invite their friends to spiritual activities organised by the Church than inviting them to only social and merry-making functions.
He counselled Catholics most especially parishioners of OLA and her three Outstations to desist from attitudes that could compel people to leave their Parishes to other Parishes or to a Pentecostal Church, urging them to learn how to welcome people.
He lamented that there were some Catholics who fight in the Church and always create problems while others only joined Societies and groups in the Church to cause troubles, counselling such people to be more friendly and welcoming.
Bishop Asare entreated the leadership of the OLA community to continue to help sustain its Outstations as well as make the youth happy by supporting them financially to build their spiritual and human capacities.
As part of the climax, 12 parishioners were administered with the Sacrament of Confirmation, while three personalities were honoured for their roles played in the growth of the Church.
The recipients were Rev. Msgr. Peter Agbenu for being the longest serving Priest-in-Charge of OLA for eleven years; Mr. Berko Karikari for designing the Church building and Ms. Mary Owusuaa Nkwantabisah for designing the Parish cloth.
The year-long Ruby Jubilee celebration was on the theme: “Behold, How Good and Pleasant to See the Family Dwell Together in Unity” (Psalm 133:1). It was launched on August 21, 2022 with a series of activities successfully organised,
Among the activities were Talks on the Power of the Rosary, Security Consciousness in the Church, Home and Public Places, General Health Concerns of the aged (HPT/Diabetes), Prostate Cancer; Causes, Cure and Preventive Measures and Breast/cervical cancer in women.
Others were Health Walks and Screening, Remembrance Day (Special Mass for Dead Parishioners for the Past 40 Years), Mass for the Sick and Aged, Marian Crusade, Quiz Competition, Mass wedding, fun games, by the fire side and climaxing with a Mass and homecoming.
