Ghana’s Cardinal Richard Baawobr dies in Rome at 63

Cardinal Richard Baawobr, upon his election as President of SECAM

Cardinal Richard Baawobr has returned to the house of the Father. The sad news was received in the evening of Sunday 27 November 2022, and announced in a statement signed by the Secretary General of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).

"With sadness and pain, we hereby inform you of the return to the heavenly Father of Cardinal Richard Baawobr which occurred today, Sunday, 27 November 2022. Our confrere was taken by ambulance from the Generalate to the Gemelli Hospital at 5.45pm and we received the sad news at 6.25pm. May Richard rest in the peace of his Lord whom he so generously served. On behalf of the bereaved Society. Our prayer and our thoughts go also to his family, to his diocese, his fellow bishops, to all his friends and acquaintances."

The above statement was signed by Father André-Léon Simonart, Secretary General of the General Curia of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).

Created Cardinal in absentia

Richard Kuwiia Baawobr, Bishop of Wa, Ghana, was created a cardinal on 27 August in absentia. He had arrived in Rome the day before but was unable to attend the consistory due to illness. He was hospitalized and spent more than two months in hospital. Only a few days after leaving his hospital room, Cardinal Baawobr passed away on Sunday, while still in Rome.

Priest, missionary and cardinal

Born in 1959, Cardinal Baawobr joined the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) in 1981. As a religious, he took the missionary oath on 5 December 1986 at St Edward's College, London, and was ordained a priest in Ghana on 18 July 1987.

He studied theology at the Missionary Institute in London, and then biblical exegesis. He obtained a Licentiate in Scripture and a Doctorate in Theology, specializing in Biblical Theology.

Successively he was then curate of a parish in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, formator from 1996 to 1999 of the Missionaries of Africa in Kanhangala, Tanzania, and then director of formation at the Chambre des missionnaires d'Afrique, in Toulouse, France.

He was the first African priest to be elected Superior General of the Society of Missionaries of Africa in 2010.

Bishop of Wa since 2016, Pope Francis named Richard Baawobr a cardinal on 29 May 2022 and elevated him to that rank on 27 August of the same year. On 30 July 2022, he was elected President of SECAM, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, during the 19th plenary assembly of this continental body held in Accra, Ghana.

College of Cardinals

Following the death of Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr, the College of Cardinals consists of 225 cardinals, of whom 126 are electors and 99 are non-electors.

Source: Vatican News

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

READINGS AT MASS

Isa. 2:1-5

Psalm 122

Rom. 13:11-14

Mt. 24:37-44

Theme: IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

The problem with the days of Noah, as mentioned in today's Gospel by Jesus, was the deception of the normal everyday routine. Normalcy and routine can be dangerous and alluring to the Christian soul. Human beings are comfortable with stability. As such we can easily fall into a routine that makes us overlook so many things including new trends of events and signals in our lives. Routines can suck us in and keep us drowsy, thus preventing us from seeing and paying attention to the promptings of God to us. 

As we begin a New Liturgical Year and a new period of spiritual preparation, the Church, in the Word of God, is calling us to be very careful as Christians when things seem to be normal around us. Because uneventful comfort in the flesh is a danger to the soul. 

We are called, therefore, to fight the temptations of routine, stability and normalcy. We must constantly keep the soul awake, sober and attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit even as we go through the routines of a drowsy world. Beloved in Christ, never fall too deep into the cycle of every day life so as to forget what is happening (what God is doing) around you.

PRAYER

Almighty God, grant your faithful the grace to stay awake in the Spirit and attentive in a drowsy world. May we resolve and be ready to meet Christ with righteous deeds at His second coming. Amen.

May God bless you.

-Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, November 27, 2022.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE

READINGS AT MASS

2 Sam. 5:1-5

Psalm 122

Col. 1:12-20

Lk. 23:35-43

Theme: THE KING WHO SAVED HIMSELF NOT

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

We are at a critical point in history, where serious sacrifices ought to be made. The time has come for us to choose whether to save ourselves or secure the lives of the future generations. At this critical time, parents who wish to save themselves will not be able to save their children. In similar vein, leaders whose only interest is in securing their own comfort and safeguarding their future interests will not be able to alleviate the suffering of their subjects.

On this final Sunday of the Liturgical Year, in our bid to celebrate Christ as King of Kings, we encounter in our Gospel text, a Ling who seemed helpless on the Cross. A King who would not save Himself. This is what is being presented to us as God's model of Kingship. The question we ask is why was Jesus, the universal King, so helpless on the Cross?

Jesus had the power to save Himself, no doubt about that. But at that critical point on the Cross, it was between saving Himself or us and chose the latter. He chose to sacrifice Himself and endure all the humiliation in order to save us. The Savior of the world and King of the universe would not save Himself because doing so would have spelt doom for us.

The course of our world is on a sturdy doomsday trajectory because our human kings and leaders lack this element of sacrifice and selflessness. Many are only interested in securing their comfort and future. They prefer to save themselves and protect the power they enjoy rather than save their subjects from suffering. Hence, there is no hope for us in them.

The hope of our world lies only in Jesus Christ, the King of the universe, who would rather save us than descend from the Cross. Glory to Christ the King!

PRAYER

Father in heaven, your will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe. Grant that the whole creation, set free from the slavery of sin, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Amen.

May God bless you.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, November 20, 2022.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

READINGS AT MASS

Mal. 3:19-20

Psalm 98

2 Thes 3:7-12

Lk. 21:5-19

Theme: BE PREPARED!

Beloved, today's First Reading reminds us of the judgment day. The day of reckoning: a day that will be terrible for evildoers but rewarding for those who fear the Lord. God who sees everything will in the end reward us according to our deeds.

In the Gospel, while people were talking about the beauty of the temple, Jesus saw its inevitable end and by extension the end of the world when we all will be held accountable for the life we lived on earth. On that day, only those who would endure in faith and righteousness will be saved.

Beloved in Christ, there's an end to everything that we see under the sun. The world and everything in it will pass away; there will be a judgment and God will hold us accountable. For "It is appointed for men once to die, and after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27).

The Christian message of judgment and accountability is even more relevant in our world today for we have become a reckless and abusive people. Our society today has taken everything and everyone, including God, for granted. Our leaders are shamelessly corrupt and citizens are no better. We keep amassing wealth at the expense of the poor and no one can seem to hold us accountable. Our wickedness and abuse may pass unnoticed and unpunished in this world but God sees everything and will reward us as we deserve.

Beloved, the day of the Lord is coming...Be Prepared!

PRAYER

Father of all that is good, we pray you to keep us faithful in serving You, for to serve You is our lasting joy. Grant us an enduring faith that we may hold on firmly unto the end. Amen.

May God bless you.

-Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, November 13, 2022.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

Bishop Fianu Elected Vice President of Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference

Bishop Emmanuel Fianu, SVD Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Ho, Ghana, was elected the vice president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference at the Annual Plenary Assembly, which is currently underway in the Donkorkrom Vicariate being held on the theme “A synodal church: communion, participation, and mission in the context of the new evangelization.”

He takes over from Archbishop Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle of the Cape Coast Archdiocese. Bishop Emmanuel Fianu, SVD is the first Ghanaian SVD Bishop to take up this position.

Profile of Bishop Emmanuel Fianu, SVD

Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu hails from Tegbi in the Anlo District, Volta Region of Ghana. He holds Doctoral Studies in Biblical Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. After his doctoral studies, he was assigned to the SVD Ghana Province to teach Biblical Science and Languages at the St. Victor’s Major Seminary, Tamale. He was a member of the SVD Provincial Biblical Pastoral Ministry Team (2000-2006), SVD Coordinator for Formation in Africa and Madagascar (2001-2003), SVD Zonal Coordinator for Africa-Madagascar Zone (2003-2007). 

In December 2006 he was appointed Secretary General of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) with office in Rome, Italy. In June 2016 he obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Religious Administration from the Institute of the Congregation for Institutes of Religious Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Rome, Italy.

On 14th July 2015 he was elected Bishop of Ho Diocese. On 20th April 2016, he was appointed by Pope Francis the Apostolic Administrator, Keta-Akatsi Diocese. In 2016 he was appointed the Chairman of the Volta Regional Media Advisory Committee. In October 2016 he was elected Episcopal Chairman for Health and Episcopal Co-Chairman for Laity of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference. On 22nd October 2018 he was appointed by Pope Francis the Apostolic Visitator of the Diocese of Kpalime, Togo.

In the same Annual Plenary Assembly. Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese was elected the president of the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference.

We wish our dear bishops the best of luck and God’s Blessing. 

Ayekoo!!

Source: SVD Ghana & Liberia Province

Your Priorities Matter

“Imagine you had a bank account that deposited $86,400 each morning. The account carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every dollar each day!

We all have such a bank. Its name is Time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever time you have failed to use wisely. It carries over no balance from day to day. It allows no overdraft so you can’t borrow against yourself or use more time than you have. Each day, the account starts fresh. Each night, it destroys an unused time. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, it’s your loss and you can’t appeal to get it back.

There is never any borrowing time. You can’t take a loan out on your time or against someone else’s. The time you have is the time you have and that is that. Time management is yours to decide how you spend the time, just as with money you decide how you spend the money. It is never the case of us not having enough time to do things, but the case of whether we want to do them and where they fall in our priorities.”

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

 READINGS AT MASS

2 Mac 7:1-2,9-14

Psalm 17

2 Thes 2:16-3:5

Lk. 20:27-38

THEME: HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

"And they lived happily ever after" is a familiar phrase from some of our favorite childhood bedtime stories. A phrase that assured us that despite their struggles, the character(s) were rewarded for their faithfulness. Knowledge of existence and the quest for a happy ending gives us hope to remain faithful to one another and our cause no matter the roadblocks.

In today's Gospel, Jesus, in His response to the Sadducees, affirms the Christian faith in the resurrection. God is a God only of the living; a Christian's life story does not end in death. There is the resurrection of the dead and "a happily ever after" for all those who believe in Jesus Christ (Jn 6:40).

For Jesus Christ, the Sadducees (and all who do not believe in the resurrection) never got the ending of the story right. They do not believe in the happy ending of life, because they have never been clear on the meaning of life in Christ.

Beloved in Christ, that glorious ending of the 'book' of Christian life is what gives meaning to everything in this gloomy world. It gives us hope and assures us of the fact that there is more to life than what we see and touch here.

Faith in a better ending and in something higher and beyond the present makes life worth living. It gives us the strength to keep moving forward. As in the First Reading, we saw how faith in the resurrection gave the "seven brothers" the courage to remain faithful to death.

Our faith in Jesus Christ, who is our resurrection and life, should strengthen our conviction in the reward of eternal life.

May God bless you.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen our faith in you and deepen in us the hope of resurrection. Amen.

May God bless you.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, November 6, 2022.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

The Value of Money (About Self-Worth)

At the beginning of a new school year, a class teacher stands up in front of her students holding a $100 bill.

She tells them, “Put your hands up if you want this money”.

Every hand in the room goes up, to which the teacher says, “I am going to give this money to someone here, but first, let me do this…”

She takes the bill and crumples it up in her hands, before asking, “Who still wants it?”

The hands stay up.

The teacher then drops the bill on the floor, stomps and grinds it into the ground, and picks it back up. “How about now?” she asks again.

The hands stay up.

“Class, I hope you see the lesson here. It didn’t matter what I did to this money, you still wanted it because its value stayed the same. Even with its creases and dirtiness, it’s still worth $100.”

She continues, “It’s the same with us. There will be similar times in your life when you’re dropped, bruised, and muddied. Yet no matter what happens, you never lose your value.”

Moral of the story:

Life’s hardships are inevitable, and we’ll all be put through the ringer at some point, often through no fault of our own.

Don’t let these challenges alter your feelings of self-worth. You’ll always be enough; you have something unique and special to give and offer the world.

Source: What's Danny Doing

The Elephant Rope (Belief)

 

A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains.

All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all.

Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied;

“When they are very young and much smaller, we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? How many of us are being held back by old, outdated beliefs that no longer serve us? How many of us have avoided trying something new because of a limiting belief? Worse, how many of us are being held back by someone else’s limiting beliefs?

Moral of the story:

No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually achieving it.