By Doreen Darko
The St. Peter’s Regional Seminary at Pedu near Cape Coast, has been challenged to seek accreditation to award its own Degrees to Seminarians.
Prof. Kofi Awusabo-Asare, Director of the Academic Planning and Quality Assurance (DAPQA) Directorate of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), who threw the challenge said after 60 years of existence, it had become imperative that the Seminary moves forward to become a Centre of excellence.
He said this at a durbar at the Pedu Seminary to climax its 60th Anniversary celebration on the theme: Sixty Years of Formation of the Church in Ghana and the Universal Church – A Shared Responsibility.
Prof. Awusabo-Asare noted that UCC, which was started in 1962, five years after the establishment of the Seminary offers a Doctorate Degree (PhD) to Students.
He stressed that offering accredited higher Degrees would provide the much needed human capital for training and also open the Seminary to enormous opportunities that existed for institutions of higher learning including exchange programmes.
He therefore called on Catholic intellectuals, individuals and the Church to assist the Seminary to obtain the accreditation.
Since the training of Seminarians was costly, Prof. Awusabo-Asare suggested that the Seminary organise open days for the laity to have firsthand information about its activities and offer the necessary support.
He also called for the development of strategies and innovative ways of financing the Seminary’s programmes since it could no longer depend on charity, proposing the creation of an Endowment Fund where individuals, Parishes and Societies could donate towards the formation of future Priests.
He also suggested the formation of the Friends of the Seminary to bring together individuals to assist the Seminary.
Prof. Awusabo-Asare reiterated the need for the Church to identify ways of attracting suitable candidates for the Priesthood, and urged parents to nurture and prepare their wards to respond to the call to the Priesthood or Religious Life.
To attract more young people to the Priesthood, the Professor also called on Priests to be welcoming and cheerful, entreating the laity to offer spiritual and social support to Priests.
Saying that Seminary formation was a shared responsibility, Prof. Awusabo-Asare called on all stakeholders to play their respective roles responsibly.
Most Rev. Matthias Kobena Nketsiah, Archbishop of Cape Coast, said Seminaries were established to form young men who desire to become Priests, noting that the hallmarks of Formation were authenticity and docility to the Word of God.
He commended the Seminary for being faithful to authentic formation over the past 60 years and producing many Priests through whose ministries the Church had achieved tremendous growth.
Archbishop Nketsiah expressed appreciation to all who had supported the Seminary and lauded the Formators and Lecturers, praying that all who go through the Seminary would exit with an experience and a touch of boldness, oratory and missionary spirit.
He urged Priests to speak boldly against materialism, indifferentism, relativism, indiscipline and abuse of religion for personal aggrandizement which sacrifices the values of the environment and human life.
Very Rev. Fr. Robert Snyper, Rector of the Seminary, said the past had been good and memorable because some people heeded the Gospel and assisted the Seminary to form Priests not only for Ghana but the Universal Church.
He reminded families and parents of their responsibility to nurture children in the fear of God to enable them respond to the call to the Priesthood, entreating them to assist their children in the Seminary financially and not shirk the total responsibility to the Church.
Rev. Pius Gyesi Acquah, the Students’ Representative Council President, said the Seminary forms Students spiritually and intellectually in theological, biblical and educational disciplines to acquire knowledge in order to deepen and teach the faith.
The programme was chaired by Prof. Francis Ekow Ofei, Dean of the School of Medical Sciences of UCC.
It was attended by Most Rev. Gabriel Anokye, Archbishop of Kumasi; Most Rev. Francis Essien, Bishop of Wiawso; Most Rev. Emmanuel Fianu, Bishop of Ho and several Priests and Alumni of the Seminary. Also present were many faithful of the Archdiocese.
Benefactors of the Seminary were awarded with Citations while deserving students were presented with Certificates. Gifts were also presented to dedicated staff.
Funds were raised towards the completion of John Paul II Hall.
The St. Peter’s Seminary, the premier Major Seminary was formed on March12, 1957.
