Rev. Fr. Ruben Dodzi Awuye, Parish Priest of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church at Juapong in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese, has marked the 20th anniversary of Priestly ordination with a thanksgiving Mass during which he was encouraged to be proud Minister of the Word and the Eucharist.
“Be happy and joyful in your priesthood and be content with what God has made you to become,” Fr. Bernard Toffah, Chaplain of the St. Theresa College of Education (THERESCO) at Hohoe in the Ho Diocese, said in a homily.
The July 13, 2024 Mass presided over by Fr. Awuye was concelebrated by eleven Priests and attended by scores of lay people from all walks of lives.
Among the concelebrants were Very Rev. Fr. James Amuzu, Parish Priest of St. Benedictus Catholic Church at Viepe; Rev. Fr. Michael Selasi Combey, Assistant Priest to Fr. Awuye; Rev. Fr. Emil Setsofia, SVD, Priest-in-charge of the St. John Vianney Catholic Church at the Asutuare, Accra Archdiocese; and Rev. Fr. James Sedem Wormenor, SVD of the St. Mary’s Parish at Adeemra, Donkorkrom Vicariate.
Fr. Toffah, in his homily, thanked God for the life of Fr. Awuye whom he said had dedicated himself to do the work of God for the past 20 years and prayed that God’s hands would be upon his ministry.
“If God’s hands is upon you to serve Him in His vineyard, there is nothing you can do since His guidance and protection is upon you,” he said.
He told the congregation that “Our lives should always be a Thanking to God,” urging Fr. Awuye to continue to give thanks to God for what he has accomplished in his life and 20 years of his priesthood.
Fr. Toffah encouraged the people of God to always take their problems, challenges and troubles to God in prayers, saying, “In spite of our inadequacies and failures, God never abandons us.”
He, therefore, urged Fr. Awuye to ensure he always avail himself to the people God had entrusted to him, cautioning him that “If you serve them anyhow, the consequences would be dire.”
As part of the celebration, there was a fundraising activity to aid the priestly work of Fr. Awuye in the Juapong Community. It was chaired by Justice Prosper Delove Gomashi, a Circuit Court Judge at Juapong.
Members of the Knights and Ladies Auxiliary of St. John International from Akosombo (Commandery #679 and Auxiliary #495) and Our Lady of Assumption (OLA) Commandery #619 and Auxiliary #554, Accra graced the occasion and mounted a guard of honour for Fr. Awuye who is a member of the OLAS Commandery.
There were goodwill messages and gifts from some of the groups of the Church presented to the celebrant.
In a welcome, Mr. G.S.K Gbetormenyo, the Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council of the Juapong parish of St. Francis of Assisi, lauded FR. Awuye for chalking 20th milestone of Priesthood and assured him of the pastoral support of the people of God.
He praised him for his zeal to uplift the spirituality of the people and for ensuring he continues the works started by his predecessors.
In a brief remark, Fr. Awuye thanked God for how far He has brought him in his ministry and prayed to Him to open a new chapter in his ministry.
Fr. Awuye was ordained a Priest for the Comboni Missionaries together with two other Diocesan Priests on Saturday, July 10, 2004 at Akatsi by the Most Rev. Anthony Adanuty.
After his ordination, he served in many capacities as on November 26, 2004, he had his missionary insertion course at the Notre Dame de Fatima Parish in Bangui, Central Africa Republic.
On May 17, 2005, he had his first Missionary appointment to the Parish of Notre Dame de Liesse, Grimari, Diocese of Bambari, Central Africa Republic and on June 22, 2007, he went for a Summer replacement in the United States of America.
Fr. Awuye’s second missionary appointment on July 22, 2008 took him to the Good Shepherd Parish at Mafi-Kumase in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese. After serving there for five years, on June 13, 2013, he was appointment for his third missionary work to Our Lady of Assumption Parish at New Achimota in the Accra Archdiocese.
After serving for two years, on June 29, 2015, he went for General Courses in Rome.
On May 1, 2016, he had his fourth missionary appointment as Pastoral Coordinator of the Marsabit Diocese in Kenya. He served there until he was appointed to the St. Benedictus Catholic Church at Viepe in the Keta-Akatsi on July 10, 2021.
On September 15, 2022, he was appointed Parish Priest of St. Francis of Assisi Parish at Juapong in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese.
Fr. Awuye had his Secondary School education at the St. Mary’s Minor Seminary at Lolobi in the Ho Diocese and St. Paul’s Secondary School at Denu in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese.
Between 1995 and 1998, he attended the Institut Don Bosco de Philosophie et des Sciences Humaines in Lome, Togo; from 1998 to 2000, he was at the Novitiate St. Pierre Claver at Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Togo; 2000 to 2004, Institut de Theologie de St. Euguene de Mazenode.
Story and Photos by Damian Avevor
