Indecent dressing to Church, Palmer-Buckle decries it

By Damian Avevor and Angela Ofosu Boateng The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, has decried the indecent dressing by some of the faithful, especially the youth to Church. Dedicating the Church building and Consecrating the Altar of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher Church at New Achimota, he noted that the Church is a holy place of prayer and worship, urging the faithful to be cautious about their dressing and be decorous in the Church. The dedication Mass was part of activities to climax the 80th Anniversary of the St. Thomas More Church, attended by many Parishioners in their Parish cloth. The Archbishop advised the Parishioners to dress in a manner that was befitting to the Church, entreating them to respect the sacredness of the anointed Altar and the Church building because Jesus was present. Saying that the temple of the Lord was not just a building made up of stones, he reminded the faithful that their bodies were the Temple of the Lord and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit hence, they must do things that glorify God. He said they were the living stones with which God builds His Temple, noting that by virtue of their Baptism, Confirmation and anointing with the Oil of Chrism, they had become the house of God. He urged the faithful to allow the zeal for the house of the Lord to consume them always so that they might keep the temple of the Lord holy and be conscious of the fact that they are the Priestly, Kingly and Holy people of God. The Mass was concelebrated by 14 Priests including Rev. Frs. George Obeng Appah, the Priest in-charge, Fred Agyeman, Francis Oteng Bawuah, Edmund Donkor Baine, Nicholas Dzikunu, Peter Hesse, Clement Amankwa, Destiny Amenuvor, Emmanuel Salifu, Robert Billy Gbettey and Marciano Ziem Kogh of the Wa Diocese. On Offertory gifts brought by Parishioners from their homes, the Archbishop urged the faithful to bring to God wholesome things but not things they did not need in their homes. In his homily, the Archbishop prayed that the daily sacrifice offered through Christ, with Christ and in Christ in the dedicated Church would forever be acceptable to the glory and honour of God. He explained the symbolic importance of the rites of consecration and dedication and urged the faithful to lead lives that were pleasing to the Lord on his Altar, be committed to the faith and do the work of God. Explaining the importance of blessing and sprinkling of Holy Water, the Archbishop quoted from Ezekiel 36: 24- 28, while the use of incense by the Church was traced from Rev. 8:3-5 and the twelve 12 Crosses on the wall from Rev. 21:9-14. Placing the relic of St. Rufina in the Altar, he said “it reminds us of the early martyrs who died for the faith” and urged the faithful to witness to God, stand for justice and truth and be ready to die for the Word and the faith. The Archbishop later cut the sod for the construction of a Rectory and a Grotto. He expressed gratitude to all whose selfless sacrifices over the years had contributed to the completion of the Church building and encouraged them to continue to support the Church to complete the two projects. Presiding over a thanksgiving and Confirmation Mass the following day which was the first Sunday of Advent, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said the season of advent reminded us to be alert, be on guard and be prayerful for the second coming of Christ. He urged the Confirmants, numbering 126, to allow themselves to be empowered by the Holy Spirit which they had received and strive to build an intimate relationship with Christ through prayer and good deeds. He urged Parents and God-parents of the Confirmants to help them to grow in faith by teaching them and being role models to them, and expressed gratitude to the Catechists for preparing the candidates for the reception of the sacraments. He also thanked all the Priests who had served the Church and urged the young men and women in the Church to aspire to the Priesthood and Religious Life. The St. Thomas More Catholic Church began in the premises of the Achimota School in 1935 with the posting of Catholic Priests to the Achimota College to teach and undertake pastoral care of Catholic Students. It was later moved to its present location, a decommissioned armory of the World War II British Army and the first Mass to dedicate the Church was held on June 22, 1947. In 1946, the land on which the St. John Fisher Church is situated was donated to the Church with the commencement of a permanent Church building in 2002 under the pastorship of Rev. Fr. Seth Awo Doku. The St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher Church is currently the only twin Parish in the Accra Archdiocese.