The Most Rev. John Baptist Attakruh, the new Bishop of Ghana’s Sekondi-Takoradi Catholic Diocese was ordained as the fifth Bishop at a colourful ceremony at the Our Lady Star of the Sea Cathedral, Takoradi on Friday, September 24, 2021.
The celebration was attended by the cream de la cream of the Catholic Church in Ghana and scores of Christ’s faithful, Priests and Religious, Politicians, Traditional Leaders and Religious leaders from other Christian denominations.
The Principal Consecrator was the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, the Most Rev. Henryk M. Jagodzinski, and the Co-consecrating Bishops were the Most Rev. Philip Naameh, the Archbishop of Tamale and the President of Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie CSSp the Archbishop of Accra.
In his homily, the Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast reminded the newly ordained bishop “Ordination is a mystery gift from God.”
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle based his sermon on the first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah who objected initially to the call of God because of inadequacies, admonished the newly ordained bishop not to be afraid of his inadequacies.
He reminded the newly ordained bishop that God knew him before he was born and had ordained this day long ago. Like Paul who encouraged Timothy his son whom he himself ordained as a bishop in Asia Minor, to fan into flames the gifts of the Holy Spirit so the new bishop must carry out his duties.
Dwelling on the Gospel reading of Jesus’ three fold questions to Peter if he loves him, he emphasizes that Jesus wanted Peter to look after His flock with love and not to lean on his own strength and understanding because he will fail just as he disowned him at his trial.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle drew the attention of the congregation to the motto of the Bishop “strengthen your brethren” as very apt in these times where the devil wants to mess up the shepherds of the Church.
He called on the people of God to pray for the new bishop so that his faith will not fail and that when he is strong, he will strengthen the brethren.
Present at the ceremony were eighteen Bishops from the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference with about 290 priests and several Religious Brothers and Sisters.
