The St. Joseph Dagomba community at the Our Lady of Annunciation (OLA), Tamale recently celebrated their Patron’s Feast Day (St. Joseph the Worker), with a get-together at the Cathedral.
The group, which began as the St. Joseph Dagomba community in 1963, had kinsmen and women join them in the celebration from the Holy Cross Parish and other Catholic Churches in the Tamale metropolis and the neighbouring communities of Kumbuyili, Malshegu, Gurugu, Cheshe, Gariziegu and Yong Dakpemyili were in attendance.
In a welcome address, the Chairman of the group, Chief Paul Alhassan Nabila, pledged to continue to play roles that help build the Church, calling on members to always exhibit the virtue of love towards others, as the Church admonishes. He recounted the history of St. Joseph the Worker Feast, which was instituted on May 1, 1955 by Pope Pius XII in recognition of workers.
During the picnic-style socialisation, local dishes,such as “Tuo Zaafi”, “waakye”, “wasawasa” and “yoroyoro”, as well as rice balls meals and local drinks, such as “sobolo”, were served, amidst drumming and traditional dancing, of “tora” and bottle flipping game.
Earlier, members of the community had attended Mass, celebrated by the Acting Cathedral Administrator, Rev. Fr. Festus Courage Tubdaar.
The Dagomba community was instrumental in the Catholic Church as collaborators of the early missionaries who arrived in Tamale in the 1940s. Members of the community either served as catechists or interpreters.
From Francis E. Monnie, CAMP-G
