St. Charles Choir dedicates new robes

Choristers of the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church at Oyibi, in the Accra Archdiocese were elated with the dedication of their new Choir robes at a recent ceremony at the Church.

The Choir under the baton of Mr. Emmanuel Xorlava Mawuena, Choir Master performed various soul inspiring anthems and rich medleys of choral songs at a four-hour programme witnessed by many faithful.

Guest Choirs at the function were the St. Agnes Choir, Dodowa, St. Peter’s Choir, Ayikuma and the Apostle Revelation Church Choir from Madina.

Fr. Lawrence Agyapong, Assistant Priest at St. Agnes Rectorate at Dodowa, who dedicated the robes, highlighted the relevance of singing ministry in the Church, and entreated the choristers to dedicate themselves and committed to sing to glorify God.    

Narrating the history of the Choir, Mr. Jeremiah Tembendann, Choir President, said though St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church started on March 18^th 2007, with the first Mass being said by Rev. Fr. Charles Ackon, then Priest-in-charge of St. Agnes Church, Dodowa, it was in October 2007, that the Choir started by singing familiar tunes and hymns.

He noted that the efforts of two Nigerian Artisans, Dennis Osiegwe and William Uche Ogbuinya, who first attended Mass in October, changed the tempo of the music at Mass. Thus under the leadership of Unche, the Choir held regular rehearsal, which help improved on their singing at Mass.

However, when Uche and Dennis left in January 2008, the Choir was orphaned but when Jeremiah Tembendann joined the community in April 2008, he together with Mr. Sitsofe Gbeza, the former Choir master of the St. Peter Catholic Church at Ayikuma, occasionally supported the Choir learn new songs.

“In December 2011, Mr. Bonney from Queen of Peace Parish, Madina, as official Choir Master, handled the Choir until January 2014, when for personal reasons he had to excuse himself. Thus, Mr. Emmanuel Xorlava Mawuena was appointed succeeded to as the Choir Master” he added.

The Choir President thanked God for his graces and mercies that sustained the Choir to date, and thanked the patrons, and all benefactors of the Choir for their support.

In a remark, Mr. Joseph Amuna, Chairman for the function, said the dedication of the Choir robes was a historic and significant event in the annals of the Church, adding that like new clothes sewn and worn with pride, the ceremony was proper.

He said God created music for man to use for the right purpose, which has a significant place in our worship of God, noting that music motivates us in trying times, fuels the mind and is a powerful tool that elicits an emotional response from people listening to it.

The Chairman, who also doubles as Choir Patron, commended the Choir for their efforts over the years to enliven the Liturgical celebrations at the Church.

Earlier, Mr. Richard Botsoe, Vice President of the Choir in a welcome address, noted that the important role of music in the lives of people, adding that “good music does not only inspire but also has therapeutic abilities that heal us of the many troubles of this life”.

He said the role of the Choir and good singing in liturgical celebrations was vital, since it helps to animate the faith of individuals, and enlivens the people’s worship to God Almighty.

 

*Fr. Agyapong blessing the Robes with the Choir members looking on.

*Fr. Agyapong with the Choristers 

Ghanaian Catholics hail Pope as divorce becomes easy

A section of Catho­lics in Ghana have hailed Pope Francis’s move to streamline procedures for annulling mar­riages. In various interviews, they described the move as relevant, timely and helpful to further strengthen the family apostolate.
Leading the way is Naomi Nunoamesi, Secretary to the National Catholic Laity Coun­cil, who believes that said the Pontiff’s decision is a step in the right direction and would help to address countless instances of breakdown of marriages.
She was quick to point out, however, that the reform “does not in any way favour annulments but will only support the speed­ing up of the procedures for those who require prompt attention to officially resign and begin a more fruitful journey with another person.”
She was reacting to the Pon­tiff’s authorization on Tuesday, 8th September 2015, of major overhaul of the Church’s system for granting annulments.
According to the Vatican, the changes are designed to stream­line the process of annulling marriages out of “concern for the salvation of souls,” while main­taining Catholicism’s traditional ban on divorce.
Welcoming the alteration, Robert Dela Mawunyega, a youth of the St. Ann Parish at Teshie in Accra, observed that the changes show that the Catholic Church is dynamic and ready to reform.
He argued that the move would bring a breather to parties suf­fering and frustrated in pursuing annulment, but urged the church to look out for those who might abuse the process.
Speed of the process
In Tuesday’s decision, Pope Francis noted that in tune with the desire of the bishops, he has decided to issue provisions “that favour not marriage annulments, but the speed of the processes” af­ter last October’s (2014) Synod of Bishops on the family requested a simplification of the process.
According to zenit.org, the documents signed by the Pontiff on August 15, 2015 contains changes presented in two forms: Motu proprio: “Mitis Iudex Do­minus Iesus” (The Gentle Judge, The Lord Jesus) for the Latin Church and “Mitis et misericors Iesus” (The Meek and Merciful Jesus) for the faithful that belong to one of the 23 Eastern Churches in full communion with Rome that historically have had a dif­ferent process with regard to the processes.
An “annulment” means a find­ing by a Church court that a union between a man and a woman, even if it was ratified with a Church wedding, was not a real marriage, because it did not meet one of the traditional tests for va­lidity, such as informed consent.
Catholics under the rules, whose relationships break down and who wish to marry someone else in the Church must first obtain an annulment.
Describing his reform as “no less than a just simplicity,” the Pontiff says his aim was that “the heart of the faithful await­ing clarification (of their marital status) is not long oppressed by the darkness of doubt.”
Don’t come to Rome
Under the approved changes by the Pope, the process will now need only one sentence, unless an appeal is made. In the instance of an appeal, the Pontiff also ruled that it can be handled by the nearest archdiocese, techni­cally known as the “metropolitan see,” rather than having to come to Rome.
Prior to this point, the system required annulments to be issued by one court and confirmed by another, a stipulation that critics blamed for unnecessary delays, especially in cases in which no one contested the results.
The pontiff decreed that the annulment process will be free of charge, and that every diocese in the world has the responsibil­ity of naming a judge or a church tribunal to process requests, with the possibility of the bishops act­ing as judges.
Other changes by Pope Francis for the Latin Church include the provision that under certain circumstances, each bishop can himself serve as the judge.
In case of the annulment being “evident,” there will be an even shorter process, with the local bishops’ conferences being urged to help individual bishops through the reform process, and guaran­tee, save for the “just and decent remuneration of workers of the courts,” that the process be free of charge.
An Appeal of a sentence, in case it is required, can be dealt with locally (on the level of the nearest archdiocese), instead of taking it to the Vatican, whereas a second appeal can be made to the Apostolic See, or the Vatican.
The Pontiff with these decrees for the Latin rite churches effec­tively updates and changes canons 1679-1691 in the church’s Code of Canon Law. The pope also at­tached 20 new “procedural rules” for bishops dealing with annul­ment cases, saying he wanted to offer them as “other instruments” for tools in their work on those matters. The changes will how­ever take effect from December 8, 2015, the first day of the Holy Year of Mercy.
Speaking with Weekend Sun, Mr. Ofori Sarpong, a mar­riage Counselor at the St. Mark Catholic Church at Ashongman in Accra, commented that the changes were a good step in the right direction, and would hasten the process for those seeking annulment, but noted that the Church’s law on divorce remains unchanged.
Similarly, Madam Agnes Gan­daa, a parishioner of the Saints Peter & Paul Parish in Tamale, also expressed delight about the new changes, describing them as relevant, timely and helpful to people wishing to seek annul­ment.
She stated that the new decrees which empower the local church’s tribunal, gives it the confidence to adjudicate on annulment cases in an easier and faster manner, there­by ensuring people’s concerns and anxiety were addressed timely.
Remarking that the Pontiff’s move was not a deviation of the Biblical position of indissolubil­ity of marriage unions, Madam Gandaa disagreed that the changes were a license for couples to an­nul their marriages when faced with challenges.
The changes, according to her, will rather motivate and strength­en marriages and families, since the couples will fully be aware of the implications of marriage vows before venturing into it.
Nunoamesi posits that delegat­ing powers to bishops to oversee the process, which will restore relationships while reconciling people with Christ in the Holy Eucharist, was a great idea.
“Marriage in the Catholic Church is sacred and remains a sacramental union instituted by Christ between a man and a woman upon their informed con­sent for various purposes.”

THE SUN | kwesi yirenkyi BOATENG

Towards better working condition for media practitioners in Ghana

On a sad note of bereavement, members of the inky fraternity are mourning the loss of Samual Nuamah, Ghanaian Times Reporter, through a bizarre accident at Shai Hills Area. This incident comes at the tale of an eventful awards ceremony a fortnight ago.  

Largely, described as a thought-provoking profession that conveys expressions of people’s ideas, sentiments and views on various topics across great distance; journalism is also said to be a people to people venture that echoes activities of interest to people and on things that bothers on their survival. Some are of the view that it is an omnibus that carries essential news, information that excites, entertains or tickles the conscience of people in a society.

Undoubtedly, journalism is a catalyst that helps project and drives an agenda or concerns of a people or organisation to make an impact on people and on society at large.

Through the special act of news or information gathering, packaging and dissemination in print, on screen, on the waves and online, journalists to a larger extent have pushed, influenced and ensured the socioeconomic development of the Ghanaian society, even though there is more room for improvement.

Pressures and demands of the Job

That journalism is part of the creative industry, which demands new, refreshing, interesting and exciting or innovative, means journalists or media practitioners ought to meticulously think on their feet in order to generate and develop good storylines. The nuances that comes with this job, imposes a great deal of responsibility on media professionals to think, make good judgment ad take appropriate action with regards to what is newsworthy and what is not. 

Similarly, the deadlines given for completion of news report or programmes, compels journalists or media practitioners to act with speed, notwithstanding the professional demands of accuracy, objectivity, balance and timeliness. There is no point denying the fact that there is pressure on media practitioners to deliver at all time, some even working late into the night. These efforts, challenges practitioners to always be abreast with issues to make them current, but the pressure and stress is seldom mentioned. 

Challenges and risks at stake

There are occupational hazards in every profession and the Media Profession has its fair share. The risks may include verbal or physical attacks by news-makers, accidents, deaths, libel charges, incorrect or biased reports and errors. Other challenges include low remuneration; standardization of ‘soli’ by event organizers and the disgraceful demand of it by some journalists, as well as weak or non-existent risk insurance cover for many Journalists in the country.

It would interest you to know the trouble these media practitioners go through daily in gathering information and news packaging for public consumption. Often time, they are the very people who amplify the poor working conditions of other workers but rarely talks about their unfortunate conditions. 

In fact, as I watched footage of the mangled Ford vehicle the Presidential Press Corps were traveling on which was involved in last Thursday accident, and leaflets or pieces of reporters note books scattered all over the accident scene, I wondered what becomes of the deceased family and the injured. I wondered whether there is an insurance package for them and many others who were injured. I wondered what the situation might have been if they were better working conditions for journalists by all media organization in the country.    

Role of GJA, NMC and Media organization

Maybe we can forgive the past for not awakening us to these realities or for allowing us to forget the essence of taking a critical look at the risk or hazards in the media profession. But today, with a rich blend of expertise in the Journalism front more than ever, and with an undying zeal to make the fourth estate of the realm a more relevant, active and effective tool in championing democracy, it behooves members of the inky fraternity to collectively work on better welfare or conditions for the Ghanaian Journalist.

Maybe we need to move beyond just issuing messages of condolences in solidarity with attacked or fallen members. Maybe we need to do more rather than just sympathize with the bereaved families. Maybe we need to extend our support beyond just naming awards in memory of these fallen members. Maybe it is time to do something concrete to champion a better Journalist Welfare Scheme in Ghana. Maybe we need to do more in terms of organising training programmes, and looking at ways to utilize the Media Fund for the professional improvement of members of the association and champion professional excellence and by effect improved standards of the Ghanaian media, instead of limiting GJA’s activities to the Awards Ceremony or election monitoring.

Thus, in the same light that the GJA Code of Ethics was drafted and adopted as a binding Code or standard guide for Journalists work in Ghana, it is also imperative for the media to highlight and champion better working condition of service for journalists in the country. This condition of service should spell out a proper plan for insurance against risk in line of duty. The GJA and in fact the National Media Commission must work hand-in-hand to spearhead the enactment of such conditions and compel or encourage media institutions or organizations to sign onto it, to ensure better welfare for journalists and media practitioners in the country. This way we will be blessing the memory of the vibrant and enthusiastic Samuel Nuamah.

African Health supports flood victims

A team from African Health Now (AHN), a non-profit organization, which promotes sustainable primary health care among women, children and families in Sub-Saharan African, on Saturday, toured some flood affected areas in Accra, in the June 3^rd flooding of some suburbs of Accra, to commiserate and support the victims.

The team lead by Catherine Ekar, Treasurer of the AHN, first stopped at Ayidiki near Alajo, which was totally submerged under the flood water that overflowed the banks of the Alajo main drain. The team distributed over 400 bags of sachet water and toiletries to the victims to help alleviate their plight.  

The over a thousand perplexed victims, who received the support, were still counting their loss after the floods. They also narrated how the flood water, which they least expected visited them on that fateful Wednesday.

Among items destroyed were mostly of their personal effects, educational materials, electrical gadgets and others running into several millions of cedis.

Ms. Ekar, who together with the team interacted and assessed the extent of damage caused by the floods to the households, stated that her organisation will look for more assistance to support them.

Overwhelm by the loss of lives, properties and valuables, Catherine stressed the need for other organization to join the relief efforts, observing that government alone cannot attend to all the needs of the victims.   

With the recession of the flood-water 10-days after the floods, the victims lamented about the extent of destruction it caused their households, businesses and their general welfare. And although some of them are picking up the pieces to rebuild, in anticipation of help from the authorities and other benevolent organization, it is clear that they are in dire need of a lifeline.

For instance, Madam Vida Owusu who escaped from her collapsed building shared her ordeal on having to sleep on the bare-cold floor because she lost her bed and virtually all belongings. 

It was clear from the tour of her room that apart from a table, cabinet, chairs and some few utensils, Madam Owusu’s room was virtually empty.

Another victim, Alice Afari, who lives in the neigbourhood of the Madam Owusu, described how her room was also emptied by the floods.                 

With hundreds of households affected in the area, the thousands of victims, who were directly and indirectly affected, are still counting their lost and noted with concern that they were yet to receive support from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and thus thanked AHN for their efforts to even visit them.

The team also made brief stops at Adawna area and commiserated with the victims there to.

Although NADMO is reported doing its bid to attend to the victims, there are indication more efforts are needed to salvage the situation. Already, health experts have warned that there could an imminent outbreak of cholera and other disease in the flood affected areas if nothing was done to help the victims.

   

Caritas Ghana to consolidate successes

                                                     *Participants at the review meeting.

The Department of Human Development at the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS) with the various Catholic Diocesan Development Offices (DDO) throughout Ghana, which forms Caritas Ghana are poised to consolidate the success of the Catholic Church’s mission of charity in the country.  

With support from Misereor and a Change Management Consultant, the capacity development for the DDOs and efforts made thereof to improve the Church’s charity work in the country is steadily improving, as more Diocesan Development offices are streamlining their programmes and systems to infuse progressive changes in their operation.

This came up during the DDO Capacity Development Review Meeting in Accra on recently, which attracted DDOs from all the 20 Arch/Dioceses in the country and other international partners.   

Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo, Executive Secretary, Department for Human Development (DHD) at the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS), said the change process which is to help improve the Church’s development efforts was not just about supporting the DDOs but to also impact on DHD.

He said a lot of work has been done and their advocacy and visibility has improved both at the local and international policy spaces, as well as strengthened their membership in the global Church charity work (Caritas Internationalis), but stressed that effective monitoring and evaluation was helping tract the success of the programme, which was in its first year.

As part of the review, the Dioceses were required to give feedbacks on their achievement and challenges, and to identify the gaps that still exist in their capacities as well as discuss with partners the next follow up steps.

So far, Mr. Akologo stated that the progress of the programme was positive, in view of set targets.

“We have made significant inroads with fifty per cent of the Dioceses taking concrete steps to reform their Diocesan offices among others and more than 15 Dioceses are now doing follow up meetings to improve on their development efforts,” he said.

He noted that the work was revealing new gaps but assured that they would address them.

Most Rev. Gabriel A. Mante, Bishop of Jasikan and Episcopal Chair for Human Development, in an address noted the essence of change, stressing that “change is an inevitable condition and a process necessary for every human being and organization”.

“We Ghanaians want change of structures, change of political leaders and other changes, but we ourselves never change” said the Bishop, who bemoaned our attitude of not willing to change to ensure the holistic development of Ghana.

He said “every successful and positive change begins and ends with individual person, because of the strong influence personal attitudes have on accepting or adjusting to change,” and entreated Ghanaians to reflect on their lives and endeavour to change.

Noting that change requires a catalyst, Bishop Mante said change efforts required accompaniment, adding that leadership or political support was essential for sustaining any change process.

He emphasized that “even though change processes are ongoing, Dioceses can learn from the change process and adapt to plans to initiate development,” adding that it was necessary and important to examine, evaluate and assess the change efforts the DDOs have made over the years.             

In an overview, Mr. Edward Aloysius Prah, the Management Consultant handling the project,   said the objectives of the whole programme was to strengthen the capacities of the DDOs to carry out their function of planning and implementing relevant projects and to do the works they were set up to do, in line with general ongoing changes at the National Catholic Secretariat.

Mr. Prah acknowledged that some progress was made in the project, but said a lot more could have been done, entreating the DDOs to attach more urgency to achieving the objectives of the project.    

He said there was need to appreciate the new trends of the Church’s approach to development and public policy engagement in order to ensure holistic development, and urged the DDOs to deepen their understanding in development. “Understanding ultimately translates in an attitude that improves on overall mission of the Church in development,” he added.