General News of Monday, 22 August 2005

Source: GNA

Catholic Church Gets Seven More Priests

Kongo (UER), Aug 22, GNA- Most Reverend Lucas Abadamloora, Bishop of Navrongo - Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese at the weekend ordained seven diocesan Priests at Kongo near Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

The new Priests were Reverend Father Emmanuel Acheampong , Reverend Father Robert Afayori , Reverend Father Vitus Alnaa and Reverend Father David Kuderwura.

The others were Reverend Father Roch Akolgo , Reverend Kenneth Anyeyah and Reverend Father Augustine Bobi all of whom went through eight years of studies in Philosophy and Theology at the Saint Victor's Major Seminary in Tamale.

The Bishop, in his sermon called on young Catholics to respond to the call of God to Priestly and Religious vocations, saying that it was best to give every call a chance.

"If we insist on taking our objections seriously we shall go no where and God's work will not be done and consequently people will not be saved because of our objections and refusal", he said.

Most Rev. Abadamloora asked the Youth in the church to examine themselves and see how often they had missed the call of God to Priesthood and urged them not to sit on the fence, adding, "whoever perceives the call should embrace it and make himself the Prisoner of the Lord, he reiterated.

"To become a prisoner with all its demands and implication means that one has to renounce various forms of freedom, which would otherwise be legitimate but for the sake of Christ in order to be able to save one's brothers and sisters one is prepared to renounce them. In short a Priest is a man for others for the sake of Christ," the Bishop said. Most Rev. Abdamloora advised the new priests to be humble, selfless and obedient to the Church.

The Ordination Ceremony, which took place at the Immaculate Conception Church, attracted a large crowd from all over the country and a delegation from the Diocese of Dapaong in Togo, who were led by their Bishop, Most Reverend Jacques Anyilunda.