DEAR ARCHBISHOP Philip Naameh,
Greetings from the Republic of Taifa in the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra. We have a beautiful Church here named after St. Dominic the Preacher. Our Parishioners are as wonderful as the beautiful church building we have here. I have a good pastor called Fr. Ernest Dugah and my co-assistant, Fr. Pojoba Senam Karage.
I hope you are doing well Your Grace? The first and the last time we met was when your flight flying you to Kumasi for the funeral of Archbishop Emeritus Thomas Mensah had to return back to Accra due to a bad weather in Kumasi. We could have lost two Bishops that day but God saved Bishop Kwofie and yourself. To God be the glory. That very day Frs. Samuel Filton-Mensah, Emmanuel Xorlator Owuahene Acheampong, Hillary Agbenosi, Osmund Kudoloh & I were also waiting for the next flight to Kumasi . It was good we met though.
Your Grace, I am writing this letter to you because I was told you are a Church Historian and a great asset to the Church in Ghana. By the way I haven’t said ‘others’ are not great assets ooooooo. Frs. Hinfey and Akpetorgbor made me love Church History.
As a young boy whose parents were staunch members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society I always spent my Sundays following them after Mass to visit sick and aged Parishioners. One interesting thing I ALWAYS saw at the gates or doors of Catholics was the CRUCIFIX. Almost everyone had that in the house and an Altar too, whether at the hall or bedroom.
Your Grace, since my ordination I have visited a couple of Catholic homes and it is somehow amazing what I see now. I believe you may know more than I do. Well, I do not really know of the situation in the Northern part of our country but here in Accra and some parts of Kumasi I have visited it is rather surprising.
Your Grace, I entered a Catholic home to bless last time and I saw a huge picture on the wall. In fact, I thought I was in a Pentecostal-Cha
Your Grace, we are not calling on our Parishioners to put our pictures in their rooms (or is it because we are not handsome as priests or what ). All we want them to do is to immerse their faith in God. We want our Catholics to express their faith in God wherever they find themselves. Some Catholics are even shy of making the sign of the Cross in public; whether at their offices, in a vehicle, etc. That which is even surprising and irritating is when in our own Catholic Schools some teachers and students virtually speak against these and prevent the praying of the angelus.
On this day when we celebrate the FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE CROSS, which recalls three historical events: the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the emperor Constantine; the dedication of churches built by Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary; and the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by the Emperor Heraclius II, may there be a deep revival in our faith as Catholics.
Your Grace, May this revival lead us to realize the deeper sense of this feast; that through the Holy Cross our salvation was gained.
On that note if you are also reading this letter and you know that your cars, offices, bedrooms, tables, stores, fridges and so on have stickers and images of people including myself rather than Christ immediately take them off and kindly have a crucifix blessed on this day for use. During Mass tonight at Taifa and Ashongman we shall incense and bless these great sacramentals.
Your Grace, before I end my first letter to you (I hope it won’t the the last too), I encourage those who print posters for church programmes not to forget the Lord on these. I have gone for lots of programmes and I have even refused to attend some because some Catholics are easily falling into non-Catholic influence. As a student of Sociology I know how the symbol of the picture of a priest may impress on a person “young” in the faith to attend a programme, however, as a student of theology too I know like St. Paul says “Not I but Christ”. A word to the wise…
Your Grace, sorry for this long letter. I like talking paaaaaaaaa. My professor, Fr.Raphael Azarias always told me I was verbose in my answers . I haven’t changed yet. I am still a project of God.
Thanks a lot for your time. When I go for my first leave as a priest I will humbly want to visit you for some days ; I know that as a guest of an Archbishop …cchaaaii… tuo zaafi, pito and guinea fowls will be in abundance .
We love you Archbishop Naameh. Greetings to Bishop Joseph Osei-bonsu, my home diocese’s Bishop and Nuumoe Charles Palmer-Buckle, when they arrive for the Bishops Conference this year. Greetings to my body mate, Bishop Boi-Nai.
Happy feast day to all those called Cross and myself
Your son,