AN ASSISTANT priest of the St Peter’s Cathedral Basilica in Kumasi, Rev. Fr. Kirk Siabour, has stated that death is a passage to glory.
He, therefore, urged Christians to prepare themselves for the passage of death by getting closer to God.
In a homily at the burial service of the late Respected Lady Sister Rose Afua Amoah Duah at the St Agnes Catholic Church, Offinso on March 21, 2015, he decried the practice where Christians wailed and mourned uncontrollably during funerals.
That practice, he said, pointed to a lack of confidence in the word of God that death was a passage to glory for which everyone must prepare.
Christians, he pointed, out must not grieve as unbelievers who think that life ends at death.
Rev. Fr Siabour praised RL Sis. Amoah Duah for a well-lived life.
Concelebrating the Mass were Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Acheampong (Presiding), Rev. Fr. Francis Kusi Ababio, Rev. Fr. Kirk Siabour, Rev. Fr. W/Bro. Dominic Amegashitsi, and Rev. Fr. Patrick Kofi Boadu.
Massive attendance
More than 400 brothers and sisters from council and courts in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Eastern regions attended the burial service to bid RL Sis. Rose Afua Amoah Duah, Regional Noble Lady of Accra West regional court, a final good-bye.
Senior Officers Present
The brothers and sisters who participated in all the pre and post burial rites namely, laying of body in state, burial mass, burial and family gathering, were led by the Regional Grand Knight of Accra West, W/Bro. Peter Wireko; Immediate Past Regional Noble Lady for Accra West, RL Sis. Veronica Ayikwei-Coffie. The senior officers of the Noble Order who were at the ceremonies were Sir Kt. Bro. Derx Baffour, IPSK; W/Bro. Ernest Amoako-Arhen, DSK; MRL Sis. Margaret Gaisie-Essilfie, PGL; MRL Sis. Janet Mmieh, PGL; Sir Kt. Bro. Peter Amonoo McCarthy, PRGK; W/Bro. Yaw Osei-Poku, IPRGK; Bro. Evaristus K. Kuatsinu, DRGK; RL Sis. Joana L.A. Essel, PRNL; RL Sis. Cecilia Bobie, IPRNL and Sis. Doris Ama Bramson, DRNL. In addition to these office holders there were many other Past Supreme Knights, Past Grand Ladies, Worthy Brothers and Respected Ladies and other senor brothers and sisters.
Arrival of Brothers and Sisters from Accra
Brothers and sisters from Accra, in four VIP Busses, arrived at Offinso at 5:00 a.m. to be welcome by the family of the deceased.
At 8:30 a.m. when all mourners had been given the opportunity to view the deceased, the body was put in a coffin and transferred to a waiting hearse.
With sentries and guards flanking the hearse and brothers and sisters marching in slow march ahead, the vehicle moved slowly onto the main Asamakama to Maase-Offinso road.
Biography and Tributes
A biography of the deceased read by her brother, W/Bro. James Amoah, said the RL Sis. Rose Afua Amoah Duah was born on September 13, 1940. She was the fifth of seven children of the parents. She had her basic education at State Girls School and St. Louis Secondary school all in Kumasi and in the City of Bo in Sierra Leone.
Her working life started with Millet Textiles Company and later worked with Bikai Pharmaceuticals. Whilst working as secretary she struck by the lack of professionalism in her chosen field and the lack of respect for professional secretaries she therefore helped to form the Secretaries Association of Ghana of which she became the first General Secretary. Later she worked as secretary at the then University of Ghana Business School of the University of Ghana, Legon-Accra She later life set up her own trading shop, ‘Just Class’ at Kantamanto Market in Accra.
Tribute by Court No. 63 (Dansoman)
A tribute by Court No. 63 (Dansoman) stated that RL Sis. Amoah Duah was initiated into the Noble Order of the Knight and Ladies of Marshall at Court No. 5 (Accra) in 1985. The 66 of them who were initiated on that day were christened “Ever Ready Sisters”.
In 1986 when the idea of establishment of a new court in the western part of Accra was floated she very much became one of the promoters and on January 5, 1986 when Court No. 40 (Accra West) was inaugurated and consecrated she was on the charter as a foundation member. She was the second secretary of Court No. 40. She held other positions as committee member in that court and was advocate for the establishment of a court in the Dansoman area. On May 6, 2000 when that dream became a reality with the inauguration and consecration of Court No. 63 in Dansoman-Accra she was installed the first Noble Lady for a two year tem. In 2007 she was appointed the Treasurer of the Greater Accra Regional Court and held that position for two years.
In 2012 she was elected and installed the Deputy Regional Noble Lady for the Accra West Region, and at the region’s regional conference held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral on July 12, 2014 she was installed the third regional noble lady of Accra West Regional court.
Pictures and Write up by Bro. Kojo T. Vieta, PGA/RADV