As is the yearly tradition, the Missionary Childhood Society of the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom converged at the St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Maame Krobo in the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom, Afram Plains to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
The traditional December 28 Feast, officiated by the Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom, featured close to 535 children from across the Parishes within the Vicariate.
Also present for the celebration were a host of Priests, Women Religious from various Congregations within the Vicariate, including Rev. Fr. Dionysius OLA Kopong, Director of Missionary Childhood and Sr. Francisca Kumevor, SMMC, Coordinator of Missionary Childhood in the Vicariate, together with the animators from the various Parishes.
“We are gathered here today to thank God for love and care for us. For all the graces and blessings He has bestowed on upon us and entrust ourselves once again into his hands, and ask that he helps us to walk in the light, to be very close to his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, our brother and our Saviour, so that as you grow up, you will learn obedience from the life of Jesus; be obedient to Jesus by being obedient to our parents, to our elder brothers and sisters, to our teachers, and to all well-meaning people who want to help us to grow and become good Christians, good citizens, of our nation,” the Bishop noted.
In a homily during the Feast Day Mass, the prelate drew the attention of the children to the fact “We are celebrating the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Children much younger than you who were killed by King Herod in his attempt to eliminate the Saviour of the world, to kill the baby Jesus who is the King of Kings”. “But God protected him; God did everything to save him from the wicked plot of King Herod,” he added.
Reflecting on the First Reading from 1Jn 1:5-2:2, the Bishop underscored that the message of the reading was addressed to the children, being invited to “fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ and with God our Father”.
Buttressing on God being the light for all to follow, the Chief Shepherd added that John through the reading was inviting the children so that they will also experience what he had experienced in his close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ throughout his earthly ministry.
In order for them to fully partake of the Lord’s banquet to which they were being invited, the Bishop strongly encouraged the children who had attained the age of receiving Holy Communion to prepare themselves through the catechetical instruction so that they can become communicants, saying that the Eucharist is “our nourishment; the Bread and the Wine which becomes the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ at the celebration of the Eucharist gives us life, our spiritual life in Christ. It nourishes us and makes us one with the Lord, and also helps us walk in the light”.
He extended the plea to the Priests present to assist the children in their various Parishes to receive the necessary Sacraments that will help them in their Christian faith.
The Bishop further condemned the act of King Herod killing the innocent children, in the Gospel, as an act of darkness, which he said continues to happen in this day and age, even when Herod is no longer in the scene.
According to him, people continue to perpetrate acts of darkness; acts which will not help future generations; which kill future generations, which bring untold hardship to our children.
“We have all been speaking against ‘galamsey’ in Ghana which has destroyed our beautiful nature, water bodies, vegetation, farmlands, crops. These are things that give assurance, livelihood to children like you, which are being destroyed,” he lamented, adding that such acts which also give rise to various kinds of diseases among pregnant women and children, cannot be carried out by people who live in the light, who are friends of Jesus and who have the children, who are the future generation at heart.
By way of encouraging the children to obey their parents, the Bishop underlined that the greeting of the Missionary Childhood “Openness to everyone, everyone a missionary” also calls them to be open and obedient to their parents, who go through so much pain and sacrifices to give them life, and make them comfortable.
“Our mothers go through a lot in order to give us life, in order to help us discover God’s plan for us and encourage us to embrace that plan and also become responsible people in life. But what is the attitude of some of us children to our mothers?” he wondered, adding that the Scripture command that we should obey and honour our fathers and mothers is what is required of the children.
“This is how God wants us to live as missionary children, as children belonging to the missionary childhood. So that through us, other children may also come to know our Lord Jesus Christ; other children may also know that Christ loves them. They will come to know the kind of life that God expects them to live, the kind of respect and honour they are supposed to give to their parents,” he emphasized.
The Chief Shepherd offered gratitude to God for the life of every child present, and prayed that they may humble themselves through the instructions of their animators, and Priests, and come to know how much they are loved by God, the Church their Bishop, Priests and Religious of the Vicariate.
“I want to wish you the very best. Enjoy the day, but also take very good care of your faith. Make sure that wherever the Church calls you, you will be ready to go, because the Church is a Mother, one who cares for her children, who loves her children, who is always ready to sacrifice everything she has for her children,” the Bishop urged.
And for all adults, who in one way or the other play the motherhood role in the lives of the children, Bishop Asiedu prayed that they too may have the patience, the humility and the love to guide and lead the children on the right path, so that they may grow up to become good and responsible citizens of the Church; of the nation.
Other activities featured during the celebration included a procession across the town, Quiz based on the Bible, the Sacraments and the Holy Mass. There were also dance presentations from the various parishes present, and the award of prizes to all the Parishes that participated, among others.
The year’s trophy was won by the children of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Donkorkrom, who took first position in the Quiz.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM, Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate
