Archbishop Kwofie makes first pastoral visit

The Archbishop of Accra Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp, embarked on his first pastoral visit over the weekend since his installation.

Regular pastoral visitation of all parishes and worshipping communities of the Archdiocese is among the principal responsibilities of the Archbishop's ministry.

Earlier on Saturday, March 16, he met with the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) and the Youth respectively, where he commended the Christ the King Parish for inculcating acts of sharing with the poor into the church community.

"The Church is no Church if we forget the poor. The Church is incomplete if we disregard the poor and needy," he said.

He challenged the Youth to prepare themselves as future leaders of the church.

He also interacted with cured lepers in the parish.

Archbishop Kwofie was installed on March 1. He succeeded Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle (now-Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast).

Sunday Mass

During his homily (on the Second Sunday of Lent), he reflected on the first reading from the Book of Genesis (Gen. 15:5-12, 17-18) which looks at God's Promise to Abraham.

Archbishop Kwofie encouraged the church community to emulate the faith of Abraham "since God has a plan for us all."

"When God plans, human circumstances do not matter... when God plans for you, human circumstances, human limitations do not matter... age does not matter, social status does not matter because God has a plan for you," he affirmed.

He also noted that he was glad he chose Christ the King parish - located in Cantonments - for his first pastoral visit and described the parish as a model worth emulating.

The Archbishop also admitted that he was still in the process of adaptation in Accra and called for "patience."

Confirmation

Archbishop Kwofie also 'Confirmed' candidates in the parish and charged them to be witnesses of Christ, and cited Acts 1:8.

"Be people ready to stand for the church. Be people ready to speak for the church. Be people, convinced of your faith as Christians," he admonished.

Confirmation, one of the sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church, enables the faithful to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, strengthening them in their Christian life.

Archbishop Kwofie would likely embark on pastoral visits to the over 60 parishes and rectories in the Archdiocese of Accra and possibly to suffragan dioceses of Ho, Koforidua, Jasikan, Keta-Akatsi and Donkorkrom, all in the ecclesiastical province of Accra.