The Most Reverend Peter Porekuu Dery, Catholic Archbishop (Emeritus) of Tamale on Sunday marked his golden jubilee as a priest with a solemn mass characterised by outbursts of joyful songs and dancing.

Several Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Seminarians and people from all walks of life attended.

In a sermon, the Most Rev. Gresory Kpiebaya, Archbishop of Tamale, said Archbishop Dery did not only discover the true way for himself but remained in it and led several others to discover the Christian faith.

He said unlike some Christians and even priests who have not been able to keep their faith the 82-year-old retired Archbishop stuck to the true way once he had discovered it. "You cannot be a Christian and a pagan at the same time,'' he told the congregation.

"All human beings are confronted by these two ways and nobody can follow two ways at the same time. Yet this is what some Christians try to do''.

Archbishop Kpiebaya said the theme of these two ways was often on the lips of Christ. "You cannot be a priest and a layman. Neither can you be a married man and a bachelor.''

He said faith in Christ is the true way and called on Christians and priests, especially, to emulate Archbishop Dery by remaining true to their faith.

Bishop Lucas Abadamlora of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga diocese and Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops Conference paid a glowing tribute to the shepherd-ship of Archbishop Dery.

"He played a very active role in the Bishops Conference as president and head of various departments, especially the laity'', Bishop Abadamlora said.

He also praised Archbishop Dery for the role he played in the growth of the Catholic church in Northern Ghana, saying, "God has allowed him to hand over the priesthood to so many people''.

Archbishop Dery was born in Zemopare in the Upper West region in 1918 and ordained in 1951.

He was ordained the first African Bishop of Wa in Rome by Pope John XX111 in 1960 and installed Archbishop of Tamale in 1978. He retired in November 1994.