Alavanyo-Abehenease (V/R), March 13, GNA - A French Catholic Priest, Reverend Father Bernard Michon on Saturday entreated Africans to explore their rich extended family system to proclaim and edify Christ. He said Europe and some parts of Asia have lost their sense of the family, which was having a negative toll on those societies and the Church as a whole.
Rev Fr Michon was delivering a homily to mark the 10th anniversary celebration of 'Foyer de Charite' (the house of retreat) of the Roman Catholic Church, which also coincided with the commitment of five members to the Foyer at Alavanyo-Abehenease in the Hohoe District. Foyer is a sacred place for spiritual renewal, which was established by Marthe Robin in France in 1936. Rev Fr Michon observed that what was left for Africa was to send Christ's message to every nook and cranny as a demonstration of the strong family ties to win more souls. He said without the family, there would not be human beings to serve the Church, hence the need to explore this to advantage, adding that "willingness to serve was divine".
Most Rev Francis Lodonu, Bishop of the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church, said there were about 70 Foyers worldwide contributing to the spiritual nourishment of Christians. He called on all Christians to take advantage of the facility in order to get closer to God. Togbega Tsedze Atakora VII, Paramount Chief of Alavanyo Traditional Area, remarked that the siting of the Foyer institute was divine, which needed to be exploited to bring peace and glory to the area.