About 800 youths of the Catholic Diocese of Ho have embarked on a pilgrimage to the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, Kpando-Agbenorxoe of the Volta Region of Ghana – West Africa from March 28 to March 30, 2025, to undertake a series of spiritual activities.
The three-day pilgrimage was on the Theme: Christ in you, the hope of Glory was marked by a series of talks on various themes and topics, stations of the cross, the celebration of the Sacrament and Reconciliation, a Holy Mass where the pilgrims had the opportunity to go through the holy door to mark the Jubilee Year celebration and a fundraising in aid of the establishment and purchase of office materials for the Diocesan Youth Secretariat.
Speaking on the theme, Rev. Fr. Louis Herman Ocansey, the Assistant Priest of the St. Augustine Catholic Church, Alavanyo-Kpeme, he admonished the youths about the glory of God, and cited the famous quote from St. Irenaeus’ “The Glory of God is the Human person fully Alive.”
“Youth your thought determines your action, our lives change when our habits change,” he encouraged the pilgrims and urged them to live an authentic Christian life as a Catholic Youth.
“The authentic life begins with the simple desire to be who God created you to be and co- operates with God by playing the part he has designed for us in human history,” he stated, saying, “The adventure of salvation begins when we stop asking what is in it for me and turn humbly to God in our hearts and ask how may I serve?
Speaking on the topic: Pilgrims of Hope, Rev. Fr. David Seyram Addo, the Assistant Priest of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Kpando, explained that the youth, as pilgrims, meant they were journeying (in action) through this life to our eternal home, heaven.
According to him, being pilgrims of hope presupposes that one was not only traveling, or just journeying as any other traveller, but “we have a purpose and destination.”
“The purpose of our journey is that the world we live in now is not our eternal home; we have a home which never passes away, heaven where our Lord Jesus is,” he pointed out.
He advised young people to learn to seek God in all things, hoping for the best in all things, as we keep trying and working, lamenting that the youth of today are involved in many illicit things, including drug abuse and addictions, sexual immorality, and laziness.
In a Holy Mass on Saturday, March 29, as part of the pilgrimage programme, Rev. Fr Edbert Doe, the Diocesan Youth Chaplain and the Chaplain of CYO Vocational Institute at Sovie, entreated the youth to keep up the Faith on this pilgrimage of hope.
He reminded them of the mercy of God and that on the journey of life, a lot of obstacles would come their way but they should not relent in their service to God and the Church.
As part of the activities, the youth pilgrims discussed the Pope’s Lenten message for 2025, facilitated by Rev. Fr. Yohanes Adjei, Chaplain of the Afoega Catholic hospital.
He told the pilgrims that “This year, the Church, in line with the jubilee year celebration, calls her children to open their hearts to God’s grace so that we can celebrate Easter with Joy.
Touching on the benefits the youth could derive from the three disciplines of Lent, he said, Fasting helps people to avoid the temptation to gratify their fleshly desires, Almsgiving helps us to curb the temptation of too much wealth and earthly pleasures and Prayer helps us to curb the temptation of pride, because it makes us ask and show our dependency on God.
Mr. Frank Dogbey, one of the Diocesan youths who attended the Accra Provincial study session, shared his experiences, saying, “When someone gives you a precious gift, you have to keep it well.”
He therefore entreated the youth to see the world as God’s gift to mankind so that good care can be taken of it.
“We must avoid engaging in activities such as illegal mining (Galamsey), deforestation, bush burning, littering, which affect us through climate change, frequent disasters, wildfires, tidal waves, and loss of biodiversity, he admonished.
He advised the youth to reduce or recycle plastic waste, Energy efficiency, sustainable transport systems, environmental education, enacting environmental protection laws, he said are ways through with we can care for the Earth as encouraged by the Pope’s Encyclical, “Laudato Si”.
On Sunday, 30 March 30, a Solemn Mass climaxed the pilgrimage presided over by Most. Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, Bishop of the Ho Diocese, who encouraged the youths to return to the Lord, not because of starvation like the prodigal son, but let us return because we have decided to forgo our sins in repentance.
“Go back to your various Parishes to proclaim the Good News to those who live their lives contrary to what we are taught in the Church,” he said, adding, “We are sent back as ambassadors to drug addicts to wayward youths and let our righteousness be an example to all others.”
By Sr. Bridget Kator SMMC (Sister Communicator)
