Our heroes, our pride

With cautious steps they warmed their ways into our bosom memories. They touched, infected and affected many hearts and tasted our passionate reverence as they walked our dusty paths. They kissed the roughness in our gentility and endured our pleasant recklessness when their unpalatable words or actions or indifferent principles scratches or disturbed the order. Yet they never relented in the pursuance of their dreams, visions and aspirations.

They may not necessarily be the saintly characters of religion but are like that next door neighbour whose tenacity to duty, passion for excellence has brought honour to our society.

I cannot stop listening to their inspiring thoughts or even think of erasing their memories from my mind. Some were very close associates and friends of the friends but I admired them not because they were sinless supper humans but because they understood their calling and activated their enthusiasm in pursuance of those ideals.

I cannot name them all, because the list is endless. Some of them are interred in our subconscious mind and are part of our living memories. But a lot more are out there walking and breathing a dignified silence of their maturity and perhaps nursing future torchbearers.

The mere mention of their names adds a distinction of stateliness to the presence of a people, especially when special courtesies are accorded to their fellow countrymen because of the esteem in the names of those heroes and heroines.

We may know some, but it’s not enough to just know them. We must not just honour them but celebrate them while they live, and not wait to pay glowing tribute to their memories when they join our ancestors in the hereafter.

The demise of Prof. Kofi Awonoor, one of Ghana's finest and erudite Poet, a Nationalist who evoked the Pan-Africanist Spirit in his thoughts and works, died tragically in Kenya when terrorists of the al-shaabab sects in Somalia marred the beauty of The Founder's Day on Saturday September 21. It's a sad day indeed to loss such an academic gem and a nationalist of our time.

The torrent of messages that poured in after his death are enough to pacify the dreadful death to reinstate his soul in his mortal frame, if there should be a chance. But it goes to confirm the fact he and perhaps others gone before him were illustrious sons and daughters worthy of celebration.       

It is not enough to name them after national monuments, institute memorial lectures in their name or declare a national holiday in their honour, rather we should strive to learn the lessons they sought to live or preach when they lived. And resolve to better and improve our lots and engender the common good.

Let every town name, honour and celebrate the deeds of their illustrious daughters and sons for, what use is it to celebrate them after they’ve silently left the scene? It is important to celebrate them today and tomorrow. 

May their lives and stories inspire us to be diligent in our strive for national unity, progress and the enhancement of the lives of every Ghanaian.

God bless us all.

My Words of gratitude

My words ofgratitude

For the unmerited love, affection and graces

over these years,  I thank you Yahweh.

For your mercies and forgiving heart,

accept my humble praise and gratitude Lord.

For the lives of my parents, relatives, friends and friends,

friendly enemies and well-wishers , I am most appreciative.

Thank you all for accepting me into your fold and  treating me as one of your own.

I am eternally grateful to you Mother, Father, friends and friends, friendly enemies and well -wishers for tolerating my troubles, complaints, clumsiness, naughtiness, mistakes, surprises and imperfections.   

For the moments you offered me warmth and a reason to keep moving;

The moments you believed me and encouraged me to continue the pursuit;

The instances you inspired hope in me to keep trying, I am indebted.

I can't mention or list all your names but be assured that I will never  forget you, since I treasure you in my heart.

To those of you who have preceded to your maker, know that I'll always cherish your memories.

And it is my prayer the good Lord keep you in His warm bosom till we meet again.   

As human I make mistakes, I fail and err in my attempt to be me but I thank you for  condemning my action and not my human person. You've given me a chance to learn.

For the countless moments I have wronged, hurt, offended, disappointed and displeased you  in my interactions, action and inactions or in my quest to be me, or the times I couldn't return your love in equal measure, do find a place in your hearts to forgive me.

As I climb up the age ladder, I'll need you the more because you all have a part to play in my life.

So never stop being that friend, that pal, that buddy, that  comrade, that companion, that associate or  that person to keep that vital link or anchor the network for life through your continuous association with me. And please remember me in your prayers.

Thanks for the best wishes.

Morja me enu hwe

Support mental health

Do more to support mental health

I  wish to call on the Government to fast track  the implementation  of the Mental Law to ensure that the right structures were in place for effective and efficient mental health delivery in the country.

Reports that Ghana’s mental health service delivery falls short of 97 per cent treatment gap is worrying. According to Dr. Akwasi Osei, the Chief Psychiatrist, 97 out of a100 mental patients, who require health care, do not get it.

It is unfortunate that mental health services in Ghana is mostly limited to three specialized psychiatric hospitals in Accra and Kumasi serving a small proportion of the population and with relatively less funding.

Another worrying situation is the challenge of staffing at these hospitals. It is appalling that there are only 12 practicing psychiatrists and 12, 700 psychiatric nurses serving over the 25 million people of this country.

I agree with Dr. Osei, when he called for the restructuring and overhauling of the mental health care system and implementation of mental health law to improve the situation.

I appealed to relatives of persons with mental illness to support them seek professional assistance, instead of sending them to spiritualist and prayer camps for solutions where they are molested, chained and beaten. 

Faith of our Fathers re-enacted

Faith of our Fathers re-enacted

Some Priests of the Accra Archdiocese recently re-enacted the ‘Faith of Our Fathers’ as part of the 120^th Anniversary of the Catholic Mission in Accra.

The play, held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka in Accra, was watched by hundreds of lay faithful and was the second after the first show at the Good Shepherd Parish in Tema, Community Two.

The drama, directed by Rev. Fr. Raymond Osei-Tutu, Parish Priest of Nima St. Kizito Church, was an adaptation of the script by Maurice Lyn of the Cape Coast Archdiocese, which recounts the resistance and suffering the missionaries and early converts faced in the Kingdom of Buganda now part of Uganda.

Fr. Osei-Tutu linked the death of the 23 Martyrs of Uganda, murdered in 1884 for their faith, to the ordination of the 23 Priests in the Archdiocese, and drew similarities of the experiences of the early Missionaries in Uganda and Ghana.

He noted that the Catholic Archdiocese in Accra has Martyrs of Uganda as one of her Patron Saints.       

Fr. Osei-Tutu, narrator of the play, acted the Character of the Missionary Priest in the play, who taught the people of Buganda the new faith and some songs.        

Rev. Fr. James Ahenkora of the Holy Family Church Mataheko, acted the impressive role of the unrepentant youth King Mwanga II, who demanded loyalty from the very subjects he sought to molest.

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Teresa Cudjoe, Assistant Priest of Taifa St. Dominic Rectorate, played the role Joseph Mukasa, an old Courtier and senior most member of the King’s Court.

Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Kofi Hanson of St. Raphael the Archangel Church at Lashibi, acted out the controversial Prime Minister character, who orchestrated and masterminded the murdering of the early Christians.

The King’s darling young and wise Kizito, acted by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Salifu of the Kpehe St. Paul’s Church, exhibited confidence in the new faith he received, when he together with Charles Lwanga and the other companions defied King Mwanga’s order for them to renounce their new faith.

With the aid of a dreadful Royal Executioner, Mutakanga acted by Rev. Fr. Samuel K. Korkordi, Assistant Parish Priest of Christ the King, he dutifully effected the King’s order to torture and murder the new converts.

The cast included Rev. Fr. Francis Oteng-Bawuah of the Kotobabi St. Francis Xavier Church as the Fetish priest of Buganda; Fr. Gabriel Kojo Ettiene of Star of the Sea; Fr. Michael Melvin Mensah of Battor Church and Precious Nutsugah of Kaneshie St. Theresa's Parish, who acted roles of the two women in the play.

Others were Rev. Frs. Hilary Agbenosi of Kwashiman Prince of Peace Church; Januarius Akpabli; the newly ordained Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Duku for the Accra Archdiocese and Bro. Courage Dogbe, a Seminarian.   

The audiences who sat through the more than two-hour show, recaptured the faith, suffering, tribulation and challenges the early Missionaries and converts went through in living their faith.              

Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, commended the Priests for staging the show, adding that they made the Priesthood a lively vocation.   

Africa prepares to host future WYD

Africa prepares to host future WYD

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), is in the process of making a request to the Holy Father, Pope Francis to consider Africa to host the World Youth Day (WYD) in the near future.

Sir Benedict Assorow, Director of Communications of SECAM, who recently attended the WYD event in Rio de Janeiro with Rev. Fr. Joseph Komakoma, SECAM's Secretary General, told The Catholic Standard, in a recent interview, that the request for the continent to host it would possibly be in 2019 or thereafter.

He said although infrastructure and communications (logistics and transportation) remained a challenge in many African countries, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana were being considered as possible hosts.

He noted that even though the Secretariat was yet to put in the request for the Holy Father's consideration, many people were happy Africa was working towards hosting it.

To this end, ground works were underway to prepare the continent to host the event in future, as part of which a Pastoral Letter by Prelates of Africa has directed the organisation of the Regional and Continental WYD celebrations.

A section of the Youth from Benin at Rio  

Unlike Rio de Janeiro and other cities which hosted the event in the past with huge attendance, Sir Assorow suggested that because of the peculiar challenge of infrastructure and communications in Africa, a reasonable quota of delegates per country throughout the world should be allocated to help the continent host the event.

"Africa cannot afford to host two or three million young people but may be in position to host a million," he added.

Asked why SECAM participated in the event, the Director of Communications narrated that SECAM was invited to a meeting in Rome that was to prepare for  the Madrid 2011WYD and in Rio de Janeiro, where concerns for Africa host to WYD were raised.

He said a report was subsequently presented to SECAM Plenary Assembly which sanctioned Africa's bid to possibly host the event in 2019 to coincide with SECAM's 50th anniversary.

Sir Assorow sharing his experiences at Rio de Janeiro said the Catholic youth in Latin America were alive and very much involved in the growth of the Church, calling for more roles for Catholic youth in Africa.

Some participants of DR. Congo at the event

With much expectation on the Continent to host the WYD, SECAM's Director of Communications expressed the hope that Africa would rise up to the occasion.    

Concerns for Africa's bid was  raised again at the just ended 28th edition of the event in Rio de Janeiro, where expectations among Catholics for Africa to host a future World Youth Day (WYD) is high, especially after all the continents except Africa has hosted the event.

Rev. Fr. Patrick Tor Alumuku, a participant at this year's event, reports that African youth at the event rejoiced when the Archdiocese of Krakow in Poland was named host of the 2016 WYD event, but expressed the desire that the time has come for Africa to host the world event.

“This would give a chance for millions of African Catholic youth to also experience and participate in one of the major Church events of our time” they said.

He reports that the issue which began as a lobby has gained some prominence on social media, adding that "although they differ on where it should be held, African youth are unanimous that after having hosted the World Cup, the continent should be seen as having the capacity to host the WYD."

He noted that Ghanaian, Mozambican, Zimbabwean and South African youth he interviewed were all in favour of an African World Youth Day.

By Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng