The St John of God Catholic Church has celebrated its Patron’s Feast Day and 15 years anniversary with a thanksgiving service at Amrahia in the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
Climaxing a week-long programme of activities, members of the church turned out in their numbers to express their gratitude to God for how far he has brought the church.
Very Rev. Fr Andrew Campbell, SVD, the Priest-In-Charge of the cured lepers at the Weija Leprosarium, Accra, and St Jude’s Catholic Church, also at Weija, officiated the mass, and said true happiness could only be found when one made the other person happy.
He said St John of God had worked as a soldier, nurse, bookseller, servant, and a patient, who assisted the sick in the hospital and later built his own hospital, adding that their patron saint was called St John of God because he made people happy, hence they should imitate his example.
Very Rev. Fr Campbell said the greatest day in his life was the day he took the cured lepers at the Weija Leprosarium to visit the West Hill Mall and later the Busua Beach Resort.
Rev Fr Bernard Kyei, the Priest-In-Charge of the Rectorate, in an interview prayed for peace in Ukraine.
“As we commemorate our Feast Day, the Lord wants us to use the life of St John of God as a paradigm around which we shall live our Christian lives,” he said.
Mr Edward Adimazoya, the Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), promised that the church would work hard to gain a parish status within three years, and donated GH¢ 2,000.00 in response to Fr Campbell’s appeal.
Mr David Combat, a former Chairman of the PPC, who recounted the history of the church, said a handful of members attended Mass with St John of God Rev. Brothers in their small chapel.
According to him, as the number of the faithful grew, it became imperative to start the church in 2007.
Mr John Feli, the first (PPC) Chairman, said the beginning was not easy, but with determination and the support of members they were able to survive the challenges.
BY RAYMOND KYEKYE
