SAINT AUGUSTINE’S PAST STUDENTS UNION (APSU) CELEBRATES FEAST DAY

The Saint Augustine’s Past Students Union (APSU) recently commemorated St. Augustine’s Feast Day with a week-long event at the Our Lady Star of the Sea Cathedral in Takoradi.

The event brought together past students of Augustine's College (APSUNIANS) to reflect on and celebrate the phenomenal contributions of the first Ghanaian headmaster of the school, Bishop J. A Essuah to the schools' development and all the headmasters and staff that contributed to shaping the history of the Great AUGUSCO.

The celebration included incisive talks on the life of St. Augustine, time with Bishop Essuah at the College, the History of the College, various talks on health and domestic safety, and free health screening.

Very Rev. Fr. Lawrence Krah, the guest of honour representing the Bishop, Most Rev. John Baptist Attakruh expressed gratitude to the APSUNIANS on behalf of the bishop for the choice of the Cathedral for their conference and celebration and described all the talks and activities as crucial, instructive and relevant to all.

APSUNIAN J. C Quansah shed light on the time with Bishop J. A Essuah the first Ghanaian headmaster after the departure of Fr. Glynn. He highlighted that Bishop Essuah was a phenomenal Latin Master, punctual, and regular to class adding that he painstakingly and meticulously ensured that no one missed his lesson.

He described Bishop Essuah as dedication personified, stressing that although he was in St. Augustine’s College for just a few years, he greatly impacted the school.

In examining the life of Saint Augustine, APSUNIAN Joseph Connel, the former headmaster highlighted ten key facts about one of Christianity’s most revered thinkers. He noted that St. Augustine was originally from North Africa, highly educated, travelled to Italy to teach rhetoric, converted to Christianity in 386, ordained a priest in Hippo, and later became the Bishop of Hippo.

He added that St. Augustine preached between 6000 and 10,000 sermons in his lifetime, worked miracles in his last days, formulated the doctrine of original sin, was venerated by Protestants and Catholics, and was one of the most important figures in Western Christianity.

The Headmaster of the College, APSUNIAN Henry Arthur-Gyan gave a brief history of the college emphasizing that as the first catholic school established in Ghana, St. Augustine’s College is an all-male boarding academic institution in Cape Coast, Ghana started at Amissano, a village near Elmina, in 1930 to serve as a training college and seminary. The school was named after St. Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430 AD and the motto of the college is Omnia Vincit Labor, meaning "Perseverance conquers All".

The celebration featured special renditions by the AUGUSCO choir, entertainment by the Regimental Band and the College Cadet, an impressive parade and the laying of the wreath at the tomb of the Bishops.

The event was graced by the presence of APUSNIANS, past students of Holy Child School and College HOPSAS, Students from Holy Child College, Archbishop Potter’s Girls’, St. Mary’s Boys’ Senior High School, St. Augustine’s College and Bishop Essuah Memorial Basic School.

"SHUN SHYNESS AND WITNESS TO CHRIST", BISHOP ATTAKRUH URGES NEWLY CONFIRMED

The Most Rev. John Baptist Attakruh, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi, embarked on a two-day pastoral visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, Egyam, and St. Francis Catholic Church, Ankyenin, in the Ahanta West District.

The visit, which spanned from Saturday, August 24 to Sunday, August 25, 2024, commenced with a welcoming and reception of the Bishop at the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church.

The visit culminated on Sunday, August 25, 2024, with a Thanksgiving Mass during which fifty (50) candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation. In his homily, Bishop Attakruh encouraged Christians to defend their faith boldly through word and action, emphasizing the importance of reading the scriptures as a guide in witnessing to Christ.

He also challenged the newly confirmed candidates to embrace their call to profess their faith with courage, urging them to overcome shyness and witness to Christ with unwavering conviction.

The celebration was graced by the presence of Very Rev. Fr. Quaicoe, Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Kojo Eshun, Rev. Fr. Celestine Owusu Darko, the Assemblyman of the town, and the Abusuapanin of the family clan.

NEW DEPSOCOM DIRECTOR APPOINTED FOR SEKONDI-TAKORADI DIOCESE

The Catholic Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Fr. Stephen Ansah-Mensah as the new DEPSOCOM Director. Father Ansah-Mensah’s appointment is with immediate effect.

Additionally, Father Ansah-Mensah has also been appointed as the Priest Chaplain of Holy Child College of Education, Sekondi.

Prior to his appointment, he was a resident priest at St. Dominic Catholic Church, Taifa-North, of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra. Father Ansah-Mensah worked in his Diocese as the Parochial Vicar of St. Michael Catholic Church, Bogoso. While at St Michael, he served as the secretary to the Prestea Deanery. He was also chaplain to Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) and Catholic Organization for Social and Religious Advancement (COSRA) in the deanery.

Fr. Ansah-Mensah is the author of the book ‘Hundred Reminders to Awaken You’, published in both French and English. He is the founder of FACTA NON VERBA GH, a social media page where he uses modern digital platforms to communicate and spread Gospel values to a global audience.

Fr. Ansah-Mensah, is succeeding Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Dolphyne, the immediate past director of DEPSOCOM who also served as the Chaplain for Holy Child College of Education in Takoradi.

As Fr. Ansah-Mensah takes on these new responsibilities, we wish him well.

The mortal remains of the late Very Rev. Fr. Paul Erzoah Bebodu were laid to rest yesterday at the clergy cemetery at Apowa in the Catholic Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi.

In his homily at a requiem Mass held in honour of the late Fr Bebodu at the Our Lady Star of the Sea Cathedral in Takoradi, Most Rev. Joseph Francis Kweku Essien highlighted the need for faith in God, urging Christians to prepare for death since no one knows the day and the hour they would be called to their Maker.

The Prelate urged Christians not to be overly saddened by death no matter how painful it can be as Jesus assures his followers of a better place with him. He encouraged Christians to respond to the demand of Christ by striving to be perfect, as He, the heavenly father is perfect.

Bishop Essien, referencing the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19, charged priests and religious to endeavour to leave everything behind and follow Christ, urging them to eschew competition for the acquisition of worldly things.

The Requiem Mass, which was presided over by His Eminence, Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, had Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer Buckley, Most Rev. Matthias Kobina Nketsiah, Most Rev. Joseph Francis Kweku Essien, Most Rev. John Baptist Attakruh, and Most Rev. Samuel Nkuah-Boateng as well priests from the Dioceses of Sekondi-Takoradi and Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast, a delegation from SECAM, and other dioceses in Ghana as concelebrants.

Fr. Bebodu was born in June 1947, ordained in July 1976, and died in July 2024 after a dedicated life of service to the Church communities in Ghana and Canada.

He was a Biblical scholar, lecturer, formator, and pastor, and lived out his motto "Teach me, O Lord, to make your word part of my very existence."

Also, in attendance were a delegation from St. Peter's Regional Seminary, Perdu, and the English-speaking community from Grand Bassam.

FR PAUL BEBODU LAID TO REST

SEKONDI DEANERY HOLDS CATH-KIDS COMPETITION

The Sekondi deanery of the Catholic Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi held her Cath-Kids Voice competition at the St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Sekondi on August 17, 2024, for all the parishes in the deanery.

This year's deanery Cath-Kids Voice competition programme was spectacular because Bible reading in the local language was added to the usual preaching contest.

At the end of the contest, 11-year-old Miss Christabel Esi Hudson, a parishioner of the St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral at Sekondi and a learner at the St. Andrew’s Anglican Complex, Sekondi, emerged as the winner of the preaching category.

Additionally, Miss Josephine Abakah Arthur, a 13-year-old parishioner of the Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Nkotompo, and a learner at Ekow Nketsiah AME Zion JHS, Nkotompo won the Local Language Bible reading category.

The outstanding performance of the duo has secured them the opportunity to represent the deanery at the forthcoming Ahanta Zonal level competition on September 14, 2024, at the Our Lady Star of the Sea Cathedral's Parish Hall in Takoradi.

The winners from the Zonal level (Ahanta, Nzema, and Wassa), and the Catholic Schools level will qualify to contest at the Diocesan level.

The programme aims to equip the Children's Ministry of the Catholic Church with the fundamentals of preaching and reading the Bible in the local language.

The competition was done earlier at the Parish level, and winners from each parish were selected to preach on the theme of 'peace', and the readers were asked to read from the book of Numbers 21:1-15, followed by a randomly selected Psalm.