By Damian Avevor
Most Rev. John Yaw Afoakwah, Bishop of Obuasi, has celebrated his first and thanksgiving Mass at the St. Thomas Cathedral after his ordination and installation on Saturday, January 10, and thanked his predecessors, Archbishops Emeritus Thomas Mensah and Gabriel Justice Anokye for their spiritual support and the numerous development they brought to the Diocese as Bishops.
The Mass was concelebrated by Archbishop Mensah, Archbishop Anokye, Archbishop of Kumasi and about 20 Priests including the new Vicar General, Very Rev. Fr. John Kwadwo Agyekum and Rev. Fr. Joseph Maxwell Appiagyei, the Cathedral Administrator.
In a homily, Archbishop Mensah urged the new Bishop to follow the footstep of his Patron Saint John the Baptist by promoting a just society for the flock.
He reminded him that the Ministry of a Bishop was to serve, advising him to always strive to become holy and be ready to listen to his collaborators.
Outlining his vision, Bishop Afoakwah said the Catholic Church had comprehensive prayers which the faithful must embrace, lamenting that many Catholics did not know and understand their faith hence they go out to look for what he described as “questionable miracles.”
He said as a Bishop and a Priest, he would be a person of prayer, teach others how to pray just as Jesus thought His disciples and to bring people to God in prayer, teaching them the correct way to go to God in prayer.
He was unhappy that certain people were championing and promoting some prayer styles that were questionable and objectionable, urging Catholics not to follow the crowd and be swept away by these prayer currents of the day.
He said that “Our traditional Catholic prayers and spirituality must be re-taught, better explained, and made more attractive including the prayer pattern of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and my office is responsible for this.”
He said the Diocese needed well-formed and properly motivated lay faithful including Catechist, Catholic teachers, Marriage Counselors, Lay Evangelizers and Biblical Apostolate Leaders.
He said he was going to embark on an aggressive formation and teaching programmes to enhance the spirituality of the faithful and to encourage more youth to aspire the Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious Life.
He said Catholics especially the children and the youth must be helped to know, understand, defend, teach and live out their faith as Catholics.
He urged Priests, Religious and the Laity to co-operate with him in his new appointment.
He lamented that “ignorance has become a serious problem in the country as there were a number of teachers of the Bible and different teachings or doctrines saturating the entire Ghanaian religious atmosphere making many people confused including Catholics.
Earlier, the hundreds of Priests, Religious and lay faithful including Archbishop Anokye joined Bishop Afoakwah in a procession through some principal streets of Obuasi during which he blessed the people and the community.
The Bishop was presented with a bouquet at the entrance of the Cathedral and inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by the Knights and Ladies of Marshall and the Knights of St. John International and their Ladies Auxiliary.
The Diocesan Priests Association, Societies and Parishes presented gifts to the Bishop as their solidarity to his Episcopal Ministry including a beautifully decorated Mitre and a Chasuble.
