Parkoso (Ash), July 1, GNA - Sixteen couples from the Saint Theresa's Catholic Church at Parkoso, near Kumasi on Sunday contracted the sacrament of holy matrimony at Parkoso. It brought to 59 the number of couples, who have had their marriages blessed recently at the Saint Theresa's parish.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency after the ceremony, the Reverend Father Dr Felix Amofah, the parish priest of Asawase Saint Theresa parish explained that the couples were taken through marriage counselling and made to know the difference between traditional and church marriages. He explained that whereas traditional marriages allow polygamy, church marriage did not allow polygamy and that the couples were inseparable till death.

Father Amofa explained that the mass wedding concept was the brain-child of the late Pope John Paul 11, who declared 2005 a Eucharistic year to enable most members of the church, who for a long time could not go to communion the opportunity to take part in the Eucharistic meal.

He explained that some of the factors that militated against some people contracting their marriage were fear, mistrust and in most cases the lack of money and advised people not to allow these factors to discourage them but cut down the huge expenditure involved in marriages.