The St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Society of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral in the Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate in Ghana’s Eastern Region has celebrated its first anniversary of establishment.
The three-day anniversary programme climaxed with a Thanksgiving Mass on Sunday, July 7, 2024 at the Cathedral was preceded by a number of activities including visitation to the Presbyterian Orphanage in Donkorkrom, fasting and thanksgiving prayers for the Society on July 1, the exact day of the founding of the group, the initiation of new members into the Society and inauguration of a new branch at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Adeemra.
During the Sunday Mass which was presided over by Rev. Fr. Bernard Appiah Adjei, SVD, Cathedral Administrator of the Vicariate, 21 newly initiated members, were commissioned into the Society of St. Theresa: twelve from the Cathedral and nine from St. Mary’s Parish, Adeemra. All the members did a special offering, as well as a donation to the Priests and some cleaning materials for the Church.
In an interview with the writer, Opanin Genevieve Dakurah, President of the Society at the Cathedral said the group was inaugurated on July 1, 2023 and has as its Motto ‘Service to God and Mankind’.
She disclosed that the aim of the Society is “to help missionary work, to help in the upkeep of our priests, help the widows, the orphans and the needy’.”
That is why, she continued, “as part of our anniversary, we decided to go and make a donation to the orphanage, to the church and to the priests to help with their upkeep and materials to help with the cleaning of the Church”.
Opanin Dakurah expressed joy for the growth in membership of the Society which currently has about 80 members and was hopeful that they become autonomous one day.
“It is our hope that we should be able to move to other Parishes in the Vicariate to spread the St. Theresa Society, to help us to also stand autonomous from the Koforidua Diocese, who have come in to organise the initiation and inauguration ceremony for us,’’ she averred.
The initiation and inauguration ceremonies were facilitated by Opanin Assan Veronica, and Opanin Grace, Koforidua Diocesan President and Vice of the Society respectively.
Story and photos by Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM, Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate)
