Diaspora News of Saturday, 5 May 2007

Source: Benjamin Okang

Ghanaian Priest to Make history in the US.

Ghanaians and friends of Ghana are blessed to witness the first Ghanaian Catholic Missionary Priest's ordination in the USA. The history maker,Reverend Paul Prince Appiah-Kubi, will be ordained by the Catholic Church on May 26 2007 at Techny, Illinois.

The ceremony will take place at the Divine Word International Chapel, 2001 Waukegan Road at 3 PM prompt.

Following the ordination, the Ghanaian Catholic Community will celebrate the historic event with a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday May 27, at 1pm at St. Elizabeth Parish, 41st & Michigan, Chicago.

Rev. Appaih-Kubi was a former diocesan student/seminarian, studied for priesthood for the Catholic dioceses of Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana and later at Konongo-Mampong in the Ashanti Region.

Rev.Paul Appiah-Kubi completed his philosophy studies at St. Paul's Catholic Major Seminary, Sowotuom-Accra and did a year of Theological Studies at St Peter's Regional seminary, Cape-Coast, Ghana.

Rev. Appiah -Kubi credits Archbishop Peter Kwasi Sarpong, Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi and Rev. Fr. Paul Baffour-Awuah for his selection to study at the prestigious Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He will graduate on May 17, 2007 with a Masters degree in Theology and on May 26, 2007, be ordained as a Divine Word Missionary priest with 6 others.

Currently Rev. Appiah-Kubi is the pastoral minister in charge of the Ghanaian Catholic Community Church in Chicago and one of its founding fathers. The Ghanaian Catholic Church that began with a handful of worshipers has grown to be 120 member strong and still growing.

The Ghanaian Catholic Community will however miss Rev. Appiah-Kubi's services after HIS graduation. He has been assigned as an associate pastor to Oakland-California ,a multicultural parish.

Reverend Appiah-Kubi will be the first Ghanaian Missionary priest to be Ordained in the United States.

Earlier in his stay in the United States, Rev. Appaih-Kubi served as a regular preacher for the Church of the Ghanaian Community in Chicago.

Rev. Apiah-Kubi and the Ghanaian Catholic Community in Chicago invite the Ghanaian community and friends of Ghana to witness the historic ordination ceremony and the Thanksgiving Service.