New Aplaku Parish Visits, Supports Retired Clergy
As part of activities marking the Silver Jubilee celebration of Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, New Aplaku, in the Archdiocese of Accra, a 10-member delegation led by the Chairman of the Church Pastoral Council (CPC), Mr. Benjamin Dwummah-Adu, paid a fraternal visit to the Bishop Noser SVD Retirement Residence at McCarthy Hill, Accra.
The purpose of the visit was to interact with the retired Priests and Brothers and to present assorted items to support their upkeep. The donations included bags of rice, cooking oil, milk, toiletries, oats, bottled water, canned fish, soft drinks, and an undisclosed amount of money.
The team was warmly welcomed by Very Rev. Fr. Alphonse Amanor, SVD, Rector of the community, who fondly recalled cutting the sod on Pentecost Sunday in 2006 to begin the construction of a temporary structure for worship at New Aplaku. He described the visit as touching and memorable.
Mr. Martin Kumedzro, President of the SVD Lay Partners and a member of the Silver Jubilee Planning Committee, emphasised the significance of the visit, noting that many of the retired clergy had played key roles in the growth and development of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish.
Speaking on behalf of the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Hans-Gerber Agbenafa, SVD, he extended a warm invitation to the retired clergy to join the parish community in celebrating the Jubilee.
In a moment of shared memories and emotion, Mr. Dwummah-Adu, his Vice-Chair Mr. Edmund Ninson-Burns, Mr. Nicholas Amenyedzi (Chairman of the Jubilee Planning and Church Projects Committees), Mr. Patrick Aikins (Vice Chairman of the Catholic Men’s Association), youth leader Mr. Solomon Zon, and Mr. Kumedzro expressed heartfelt appreciation to the retired clergy. They praised their humility, selflessness, and spiritual guidance, which they said had greatly shaped their Christian journeys and leadership development.
Fr. Amanor, on behalf of the retirees, thanked the delegation for the thoughtful visit and generous donations. He assured them of the retirees’ prayers and promised that, health permitting, they would participate in the Jubilee celebrations.
Among the retired clergy present were Very Rev. Frs. John Straathof, SVD (pioneer of the parish in 2000), Anthony Dugay, SVD, and Patrick Ofori—the first Ghanaian SVD priest. Brothers Joseph Ayitey and John Tumawu were also in attendance.
The visit was also supported by Fraters Verlain Biongo, SVD, Bernard Agboba, SVD, and Kingsford Manu, SVD, who are currently on apostolate with the retired clergy.
From Ray Atsutse
