Members of the Christian Mothers’ Association (CMA) in the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra have pledged to remain as true agents of peace in their homes, Churches, Communities, and country as a whole to promote a successful elections on December 7.
In a resolution at the climax of their 10th Biennial Congress at the University of Ghana on Sunday, September 8, 2024, they also pledged to go all out to exercise their franchise during the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
“We will encourage members to exercise their civic rights by voting in the upcoming general elections,” Mother Eunice Dumashie, President of the Accra Archdiocesan CMA said in a resolution at the closing Mass of the Conference attended by hundreds of members from Parishes in the eight Deaneries in the Archdiocese.
The Resolution signed by Mother Dumashie called on members who have volunteered as political party agents to ensure they performed their duties with fairness devoid of any violence.
“Members who have therefore volunteered as agents will do so with all fairness,” members affirmed.
On December 7, Ghanaians would be going to the polls to elect a new President for the next four years and the presidential candidates of political parties are vigorously campaigning to win the hearts of Ghanaians.
Some have launched their manifestoes detailing what they would do when they are voted into power. The Presidential candidates of the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are scheduled to file their nominations to the Electoral Commission today, September 9.
The five-day CMA Biennial Conference from September 4 to 8, was on the theme: “The Lord has done great things for me, Holy is His Name (Luke 1:49)”.
The CMA Conferences are held every two years to enable Mothers to come together to take stock of their activities, achievements and shortfalls in the past years, socialize, refill their “spiritual gallons”, check their health statuses, sharpen their legal rights, rebuild their business and strategise how best they can move the Association forward in the right direction.
In the two-page resolution, the Accra CMA members affirmed that they would encourage members through activities and programmes to honour and devote time to the Virgin Mary and thereby always emulate her virtues actively and freely.
“Members shall participate actively at their local, deanery, diocese and national level and uphold the vision of the association…and uphold the rules of the association, the Church and the communities we live in at large,” the resolution added.
“We will promote unity amongst members in the Archdiocese irrespective of our social and economic status differences, especially whenever in uniform and in togetherness, wear all uniforms including the new archdiocesan cloth in humility,” the CMA members pledged.
According to them, they would support members with skill development, legal aid, financial, health assistance and other expert advice, to make good the opportunities available to all.
They resolved to organise more training activities at the Archdiocesan level and trickle down to the locals, Parishes, and Deaneries, We shall continue to empower members to take up more leadership roles in the church and community at large.
“Members will encourage more youth to join the association to promote the growth of the church and Christianity at large through our exemplary lifestyles wherever we find ourselves,” they stated.
As Mothers of the Church, they expressed their commitment to contribute in their little ways to help the poor and needy in society as a way of expressing “our gratitude to God for His manifold blessings and not because the association is rich.”
The five-day Conference which was opened on Thursday, September 5 was graced by the Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare, an Auxiliary Bishop of Accra, who represented the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp.
It was chaired by Nana Kugbeadzor Bakateyi II, Queen Mother of Likpe-Gudeve in the Oti Region, who is the Regional Director of Education for Bono Region and the Dean for Regional Directors of Education, Ghana.
The Guest Speaker was Prof. Patricia Akweongo Cassoma, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control at the University of Ghana and a parishioner of St. Bakhita Catholic Church, Community 20 in Accra Archdiocese.
Present at the opening were the National Spiritual Director of CMA, Very Rev. Fr. Alfons Amanor, SVD and some Deanery Spiritual Directors; some National Officers of CMA and representatives of the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW).
By Damian Avevor
