Thousands of Catholic faithful from all over the Sunyani Diocese, Priests, Religious and dignitaries, including sixteen Bishops recently attended the thanksgiving Mass to climax the Ruby Jubilee(40th Anniversary) celebration of the canonical erection of the Sunyani Diocese, at the Christ the King Cathedral.
Most Rev. Matthew K Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani was the main celebrant at the Mass concelebrated by Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference; Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, Archbishop of Accra; Most Rev. Philip Naameh, Archbishop of Tamale; Most Rev. Justice Anokye, Archbishop of Kumasi; and Most Rev. Thomas Mensah, Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi, who was the homilist.
At the Mass also were Very Rev Frs. Nicholas Afriyie and Emmanuel Abbey-Quaye, Secretary General and Assistant of the National Catholic Secretariat.
The celebration was on the theme: Re-awakening the Faith Through a New Wave of Evangelisation.
Archbishop Mensah, in a homily commended the pioneering zeal of the Missionaries who defied all odds to plant the faith in the Region, saying that the first Mass in Brong-Ahafo was celebrated on the Atanotia Street by Rev. Fr. Rudolf, SMA in 1923, travelling on foot from Kumasi to Berekum.
He paid glowing tribute to Most Rev. Peter Kwasi Sarpong, Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi who during his second Episcopal thanksgiving Mass in 1970 at Sunyani, gave “hopeful signs of a Diocese in this area for the purpose of an in-depth evangelisation.”
He also paid tribute to the memory of the first Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. James Kwadwo Owusu, whom he said did so much for the Diocese in the areas of evangelisation with specific reference to helping build Churches, health care and education facilities at the remotest part of the Diocese.
He said the keen spirit of evangelisation led to the creation of the Goaso and Techiman Dioceses out of Sunyani, urging the faithful and Clergy to continue to “love God passionately and let your love for Him continue to reflect in your love for one another.”
Archbishop Mensah said as the Diocese celebrated 40 years, the faithful needed to thank God for the medical care through Hospitals and Clinics established by the Diocese to bring the healing Ministry of Christ to the sick and the dying especially in the rural areas.
“As you appreciate and thank God for all that He has accomplished in the Diocese, you are encouraged to have a new dream, a new pastoral vision to deepen this evangelisation.”
Archbishop Mensah entreated them to welcome the Decrees and Recommendations that emerged from their Second Diocesan Synod held in September.
On the 10th Anniversary of the Episcopacy of Bishop Gyamfi, the Archbishop Emeritus said it has seen the strengthening of the efforts of evangelisation, noting that “there has been the re-awakening of the faith of the faithful in the Diocese through the yearning for meaning of life.”
He urged the faithful to pray for Bishop Gyamfi, who had tirelessly journeyed with them and had tried to continue where his predecessor left off, saying that as people created in God’s own image and likeness, they needed to continue to manifest the divine spark through the call to a new evangelisation.
Rev. Msgr. George Kwame Kumi, Vicar General of the Diocese, in a welcome address said the year 2013 marked a very significant moment in the lives of the people of Sunyani, who traced the history of the Diocese to 1923.
Acknowledging the spiritual blessing and grace of God over the past 40 years, Msgr. Kumi said the Diocese which was coterminous with the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions, had seen a steady growth.
He said the Diocese had been blessed by hosting the 2013 Plenary Assembly of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, celebrating 40 years as Diocese, 10th Anniversary of Bishop Gyamfi, 10th anniversary of the premiere Catholic University; and 90 years of planting the Catholic faith in the Diocese(1923-2013).
Mr. Kwasi Oppong Ababio, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive who represented the Regional Minister, commended the Church for transforming the lives of many people in the Region and for its contribution which had permeated every sphere of national development, and brought smiles to many people.
He said but for the Church’s role in bringing education to the Region, many “successful people” would have otherwise been in hopeless and miserable situations.
The MCE also praised the Church for giving true meaning to religion and for demonstrating true partnership that should exist between the Church and the State.
The Diocese as part of the Anniversary celebration, organised its Second Synod, inter-Deanery Games, Choralfest, and presentation of Papal Awards to 78 dedicated people including Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Bennette, a benefactor of the Diocese and Mr. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Member of Parliament for Sunyani West.
His Eminence Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of the People, in a congratulatory note to the Diocese read at the Mass by Archbishop Palmer- Buckle, commended the Missionaries, Clergy and faithful in the Diocese for contributing to its growth and development.
He said the flourishing Church “is an eloquent tribute to the sacrifices these Missionaries offered and tremendous willingness of the local people who prepared the way for these Missionaries.”
The Diocese was carved out of the then Diocese of Kumasi and erected on March 1, 1973 with Bishop Owusu of blessed memory, as its first Bishop enthroned on June 30, 1973.
In the early part of the 1920s, there were four principal mission stations of the then Kumasi Diocese-Kumasi, Obuasi, Konongo and Berekum. The first Mass in the Brong-Ahafo Region was on the Atanotia Street at Berekum by Rev. Fr. Rudolf, SMA in 1923.
The Diocese started with four indigenous Priests but currently has 75 Diocesan Priests, 16 Expatriates. It has six Deaneries of 33 Parishes, Rectorates, each with an average of 15 Stations; six transitional Deacons to be ordained in December; 63 Religious Women and 17 Religious Brothers working in the Parishes, Schools, Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and other Pastoral fields.
There are eight Religious Formation Houses in the Diocese forming young men and women for Religious Life and Priesthood.
The Diocese had worked closely with the Traditional and Political leaders in the areas of common interest especially in the provision of social services to the people.