- state of New York, New Jersey and New England catholic apostolate has launched its maiden website as a means to informing Ghanaian Catholics about developments in the church.

Now available on the world wide web - www.ghanacalc.org provides wide range of information on each apostolate’s activities, and serves as a focal point for information gathering on events to facilitate effective coordination amognst Catholics in the United States and Ghana.

It is expected that the website would further propel intra-faith relations, thus generating a holistic approach to Christian formation of the youth through information technology.

The website showcases names of present and past executives, planned activities of the council for the year 2008, and updates on some of the activities performed by the various apostolates since their establishment in the United States.

Other features include the Ghanaian Catholic presence in local areas/dioceses , and the link between the Ghanaian Catholic Communities in the United States of America and local churches in Ghana through the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference . It also provides a platform through which long-standing disputes, and emerging problems between sister catholic communities can be resolved peacefully.

Anthony Boadu, President of the Apostolate Council, launched the website, saying it would afford all Catholics and members of the general public the opportunity to access information hitherto unknown about Ghanaian Catholic communities in the United States,as well as developments in Catholic Churches across Ghana.

According to Boadu, the introduction of the website was timely as it would as another means to bringing Catholics together to share their faith through the dissemination of information.

Boadu observed that there are many Catholics in the United States of America who do not know that the tri-state catholic apostolate council exist, explaining the reason “we want to open our doors to all Catholics and members who share in our faith to be able to work together for the growth and development of our faith”.

He revealed that the council has already contributed $6,000 in support of the Abuakwa Disaster Fund established by the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi for the families of 31 choristers of the diocese who perished in a car accident last year.

The council, he said has also contributed $30,000 to support the catholic university sited at Fiapre, near Sunyani, adding that more donations would be made to this first catholic university in Ghana.

He lauded individuals who have made financial and material contributions to various parishes in both the United States and Ghana, and urged other Catholics to emulate this example.

Boadu urged Ghanaian Catholic communities in North America who are not members of the apostolate to use the website to connect to the council.

Membership of the council include the Ghanaian Catholic Apostolate of Christ the King, St. Margaret Mary’s Parish, all in the Bronx, New York; St. Catherine of Genoa Parish, Brooklyn, New York , and the St Mary’s Parish, East Hartford, Connecticut. The rest are the Ghanaian Catholic Communities of St. Mary’s Parish, Newark, New Jersey; St. Joan of Arc/St. Bernard Parish, Worcester, Massachusetts, and the St. Benedict the Moor Parish, Queens, New York.

Written by: Paul Awortwi-Mensah, journalist, and former reporter, Daily Graphic newspaper, Accra, Ghana. He resides in Worcester, Massachusetts.