On 8th September 2024, the Bishop of Sunyani Diocese and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), the Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi led his colleague Bishops, Priests, Religious men and women, and pilgrims in prayers to re-consecrate Ghana to the Sacred Heart of Jesus ahead of the December 7 general elections.
The ceremony took place at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale during a Thanksgiving Mass to climax the 10th National Sacred Heart of Jesus Congress and Golden Jubilee of the National Sacred Heart of Jesus Enthronement Centre (NSHJEC), Ghana. Mr. Sule Salifu, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Tamale, represented the President of Ghana H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the Special Guest of Honour.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, Most Rev. Philip Naameh; Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp. Of Accra; Most Revs. Alfred Agyenta of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, Peter Paul Angkyier of Damongo, Matthew Yitiereh of Yendi and Francis Bomansaan, M.Afr. of Wa Dioceses, and more than 100 Priests concelebrated the Mass.
In a homily earlier, Bishop Gyamfi recalled that on March 3, 1957, Ghana was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus ahead of the declaration of its independence. He explained that the first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who was present at the ceremony, deemed it necessary for the country to have the spiritual support that the Sacred Heart of Jesus offers. He said 50 years later during the Seventh National Sacred of Jesus Congress held in Cape Coast in 2007, Ghana was re-consecrated to the love, mercy and protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which was repeated ten years later in 2017, 60 years after Ghana’s independence. At that time, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo attended the ceremony during which the Papal Delegate, Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello led the Church to perform the ceremony.
“We believe that the consecration of Ghana to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is what has sustained our country through its chequered history of 67 years”, he stated. He said just as the deaf and dumb man who saw his condition as hopeless until he was brought to Jesus by his friends and was cured of his infirmities (Mark 7:31-35), so is Ghana being brought before the Church for consecration, expressing optimism that the country will also receive healing and protection. Looking forward to the upcoming general elections, he said, “Under the protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we will peacefully sail through the elections and other socio-economic challenges, we will come out a stronger and more united country, he assured.
The Bishop also spoke about the ills in our society such as indiscipline of the youth, bribery and corruption and LGBTQ practices under the guise of freedom and human rights saying, “It is a sure way to deepen the wounds of our nation and lead it closer to total deafness and dumbness”.
On illegal mining popularly called “galamsey” and its attendant effects such as the destruction of farmlands and pollution of water bodies, he called out public officials and traditional leaders for their failure to stamp out the menace because of their greed. “… But we know most of our politicians and traditional leaders are not protecting us because they are selflessly involved in the monstrous rape of our economy, and our environment. Many are themselves profiting from the “galamsey” activities at the expense of the citizens”, the Bishop bemoaned.
He urged the pilgrims to love Ghana and to pray for her. “We cannot be good Christians if we do not love our country”.
In an address, the MCE lauded the NSHJEC for being “A symbol of hope, love and unity, and for touching the lives of many across the nation”. He said the celebration of its Golden Jubilee is not only a milestone for the Centre, but a testament to the transformative power of faith in our national life.
About 10,000 pilgrims from across Ghana attended the four-day Congress and Golden Jubilee characterised by daily Masses, Eucharistic Adorations, workshops and youth activities by Tarcisians and other youth groups, Divine Mercy and other intercessory prayers, healing and deliverance sessions, Sacrament of Reconciliation and counselling, and a procession through the principal streets of the Tamale metropolis, among others.
The next Congress will take place in 2029 in a Diocese in the Cape Coast Province.
From Francis E. Monnie, CAMP-G
