The Catholic Church has been blessed with two Auxiliary Bishops, Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare and Most Rev. John Kobina Louis who were ordained on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at the Holy Spirit Cathedral during which many goodwill messages from the clergy and Church institutions poured out to congratulate them.
Among those who extended their congratulations and goodwill wishes were the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Society of Divine Missionaries (SVD), Society of African Missions (SMA), and Accra Archdiocesan Priests Association (AAPA).
In a message, the Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, President of the GCBC said the Bishops of Ghana received with great joy the good news of your appointment by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, as Auxiliary Bishops for the Archdiocese of Accra.
“This is history made because it is the first of its kind for the Catholic Church in Ghana to have two auxiliary bishops appointed at once for one diocese,” he said, adding, “We wish to congratulate our brother Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp, the Chief Shepherd of Accra for achieving this feat of successfully requesting for two auxiliary bishops at the same time.”
Bishop Gyamfi said the Archdiocese of Accra, being at the seat of government and the capital of our country had been the pivot and backbone of the Church’s agenda in Ghana “as you play host to the National Catholic Secretariat, which is the Administrative Unit of the Church in Ghana. It is therefore timely that the Holy Father has appointed two of your own to support the Chief Shepherd in the discharge of his pastoral duties.”
“There is no doubt that your appointment and ordination today has come as a great relief to our brother Archbishop Kwofie who has not enjoyed the best of health in almost three years,” he noted, adding, “We also believe that your new role as Auxiliary Bishops will make the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Accra a bit easier and make lighter the pastoral demands on our brother, Archbishop Kwofie.”
“As we welcome you, our brother Bishops John Louis and Anthony Asare to the Conference, it is our fervent prayer and hope that you will bring your various expertise and experiences to bear on the work of the Conference,” Bishop Gyamfi said.
Rev. Fr. Rafael Simbine Junior, Secretary General of SECAM in his message expressed how joyful the Bishops of Africa and Madagascar were upon hearing the appointment.
He said the newly ordained Auxiliary Bishops had proved to be very humble, selfless, honest, diligent, devoted and worthy servants of God and His Church, pointing out that “It is undoubtedly because of the successes obtained during the performance of your priestly functions that the Lord is entrusting you with a mission of greater responsibility.”
“Your total commitment and loyalty to the Church and immense contributions were openly recognised when you were appointed Auxiliary Bishops by Pope Francis on February 14, 2023.
In its Message, the Conference of Major Superiors expressed excitement in praising God for the great things He had done for the Archdiocese and for the Church in Ghana.
“We, members of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious – Ghana (CMSR-Gh) are delighted and congratulate the Archdiocese of Accra for this great feat,” the message signed by its President, Rev. Fr. Paul Saa-Dade Ennin, SMA said.
He pledged the Conference’s unflinching support to the pastoral ministry of our two Auxiliary Bishops.
“Undoubtedly, their pastoral engagements will give the ever-growing population of the faithful in the Archdiocese intense pastoral care and attention, and to the Archbishop the needed support in caring for the flock entrusted to his care,” he stated.
He prayed that God would continue to bestow grace upon them to enable them carry out the duties associated with their ministerial office.
On behalf of the Society of African Missions of which he is the Provincial Superior, Ghana, Fr. Ennin said the SMAs were confident that their ministry under Archbishop Kwofie would promote the evangelisation outreach of the Church in Accra with positive participation of the youth, women and men.
“We sincerely appreciate you and pray for many years of fruitful service in the Ministry. As close collaborators of the Archbishop, we ask for continued graces, strength, good health and wisdom upon you and throughout your episcopate,” he added.
The Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) – Ghana Province (Ghana and Liberia) in its message, said the joy of every Religious Missionary Congregation is to see the local Church grow and bear fruits.
“For us as Divine Word Missionaries, we consider this day as historic. It is historic in as far as it is the first time to have two Auxiliary Bishops being ordained on the same day for the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra,” the message said.
It noted that the appointment of two Auxiliary Bishops for the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra was “symbolic in the sense that three Bishops would now work together, albeit in different capacities, in a trinitarian fashion to shepherd God’s flock in the local Church.”
It would be recalled that on 10th December, 1952 when a cablegram was received from Rome that Father Joseph O. Bowers, SVD had been chosen to become Auxiliary Bishop of Accra, many wondered why the smallest of the then five Dioceses in the Gold Coast should have an Auxiliary Bishop. However, the events of the subsequent months vindicated the decision of Rome. Indeed, the choice of an Auxiliary Bishop in any Diocese is divine in character and strategic in planning.
At different stages of their formation and priestly ministries, Most Rev. John Kobina Louis and Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare worked hand in hand with SVD Missionaries and other Institutes of consecrated Life to proclaim the Gospel. We have witnessed their zeal and passion for evangelization and we have no doubt their docility to the promptings of the Holy Spirit would make them effective apostles.
The SVD message indicated that “Impelled by the love of Christ and rooted in the Word, we commit ourselves to mission in the Archdiocese of Accra.”
“We pledge our support to our new Bishops. It is our hope that our partnership with the Archbishop, Auxiliary Bishops, Diocesan Priests, Consecrated Men and Women and lay mission partners of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra in the proclamation of the Divine Word would dispel the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief and that the heart of Jesus may live in the hearts of all people,” it noted.
By Newswatcghgh.com
