INSTALLATION SPEECH BY MRL SIS. DAME (DR.) AGATHA AKUA BONNEY, THE 24TH GRAND LADY OF THE LADIES OF MARSHALL, ON SATURDAY 31ST AUGUST 2019.
MHB 511
BEGONE, unbelief; my Saviour is near
And for my relief will surely appear
By prayer let me wrestle and He will perform
With Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm
Surely with Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm because as in Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord declares; “For I know the Plans I have for you, Plans to prosper you, Plans to give you hope and a future.”
Your Grace, Most Rev. Peter Kwasi Sarpong, Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi, Most Rev. Joseph Osei Bonsu, Supreme Spiritual Director and Bishop of Konongo-Mampong Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, Bishop of Ho Diocese and Episcopal Chairman for Health, the Supreme Director, Sir Kt. Vet. Bro. Cdr. Dr. Edmund S.K. Kwaw, the Supreme Chaplain, Sir Kt. Bro. Msgr. Dr. John Opoku Agyemang, Supreme Assistant Chaplains, Past Supreme Knights, Past Grand Ladies, Supreme Knight, in-coming Supreme Knight (my Counterpart with whom we are entrusted to reign in order to move this Noble Order forward to the greater glory of God), Deputy Grand Lady, State Noble Ladies (Past & Present), Respected Ladies and my dear Sisters of the Marshallan Fraternity a very good evening to you all.
I am extremely grateful to God Almighty for how far He has brought me. Amen!!!
Indeed I am humbled and honoured by your presence as well as overwhelmed by your massive support. I welcome you sincerely and thank you all for celebrating this memorable day with me as I “ascend” this prestigious throne as the 24th Grand Lady of the Ladies of Marshall. I am grateful to my Installation Team members MRL Sis Agnes Alberta Sekyi- Hughes, Installation Officer, MRL Sis Victoria Yellu, Installation Secretary, MRL Sis Margaret Yirenkyi, Installation Sentry and Most Rev. Joseph Osei Bonsu, Installation Chaplain, for the graceful and spirit-filled manner by which they have carried out the ceremony and I say, Thank you so much and God richly bless you.
I appreciate all Sisters and Brothers, both living and those who have joined the Noble Order Above, who have inspired me, have prayed for me and have supported me in many diverse ways to reach this highest pedestal. I will not attempt to mention the tall list of names for fear of inadvertently missing some names, and I do not want to be seen as being ungrateful in any way to anyone of them. I pray for those still alive that the Good and Gracious Lord reward them abundantly and may He also continue to keep those who have joined the Noble Order Above in His bosom till we meet yonder.
Nevertheless, there are a few people I will like to show special appreciation. First, I thank my nucleus and extended family members especially my husband, Dr. Joseph Bonney, who has been a great pillar of support throughout my journey as a Marshallan and I say, “God richly bless you, Joe, and to the other family members Meda mo ase. Nyame nhyira mo nyinaa papaapa.
I will also like to put on record the significant role my Installation Officer, MRL Sis Agnes Alberta Sekyi- Hughes, PGL, has played and continue to play in my life. She is my elder biological sister. She was my godmother during my baptism; one of the witnesses to make sure my marriage was entrusted into the Lord’s hands and was my Installation Sentry executing all the ground works to the point during my installation as the Noble Lady twenty-five years ago. Therefore, my Brothers and Sisters, I think you will all agree with me that she definitely deserves to crown it all by installing me as the Grand Lady.
Thank you Sister Aggie for being there always for me and I know you will continue to pray for me to have a very successful reign as a Grand Lady to glorify God.
I cannot thank my sister without appreciating my late Mom and Dad, more especially my late Dad, Bro Albert Cletus Anto, PGA, of Council 3, Kumasi who was also very instrumental in the establishment of a Council at Bechem; and my late eldest sister, Sister Christina Theresa Dapaah, of Court 2, Cape Coast. I learnt selfless love for God and man from them. Oldman, Oldlady and Sister Christie, you have every cause to be extra-ordinarily happy today; rejoice and be glad for the Lord has been so gracious to us all these years and may His name be praised for ever more.
My Brothers and Sisters, the Good Lord does things in His own way and at His own time and all what He does is perfect and good in our sight. It is a historic moment that twenty-five years ago, when the Noble Order of the Ladies of Marshall was celebrating the Silver Jubilee Anniversary, I was the Noble Lady of Court 1, Kumasi, and now twenty-five years after when the Ladies of Marshall is celebrating the Golden Jubilee Anniversary, I am the Grand Lady. A JUBILEE LADY INDEED!!!!!!!!!
I am grateful to my predecessors for bringing our Order this far. While thanking them for the many successes achieved, I will be cautious and careful to ensure, with the help of God, to lead Sisters in the next two years ahead within the Vision, Mission and Values of the Noble Order of the Ladies of Marshall and I ask for your constant prayerful support. I will now like to zero in on some specifics I want to tackle during my reign.
50th Anniversary of the Ladies of Marshall
Year 2019 is the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the Ladies of Marshall. Therefore, there is the need to deliberate on the roadmap for this celebration and what legacies Sisters need to leave for generations yet unborn. The Launching of the Golden Jubilee Anniversary came off successfully in September 2018. Local, Regional as well as State Courts were to launch and celebrate the one-year-long anniversary with numerous activities in their various jurisdictions. It is expected that on 22nd December 2019 all Sisters supported by numerous Brothers would celebrate the anniversary month in grand style including attending Holy Mass in full regalia. However, the Climax of the 50th anniversary celebration would be next year and the Planning Committee is working hard to make it a great and memorable event. Funds that would be received from all the activities would be used to support the Grand Court Project.
Through the achievements of my predecessors a Secretariat has been built at Parkoso, Kumasi, as the first phase of the many edifices of the Grand Court Project envisaged to be accomplished. Additional parcels of land have been acquired; so the plot is big enough to accommodate such buildings as the halls, guest houses and many more so that in the very near future meetings and conferences would be held at our own premises, with less stress. This is an enormous task which requires the support of all. In view of that, competent technical experts drawn from the ranks and files of Brothers and Sisters of the Marshallan Fraternity would be engaged to advice the Grand Court on the roadmap for an effective phase- by- phase development of the proposed projects, possible funding and procurement route options, not limited to the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) option. There is the need to have value for money.
Visibility of the Ladies of Marshall
Since December 1969, when the Ladies wing of the Knights of Marshall was inaugurated, the Ladies of Marshall has lived up to the tenets of the Noble Order namely “Unity, Charity, Service and Fraternity” and I would like to dwell on CHARITY.
Our charity should permeate in our works, our words and our attitudes. In Ephesians 2:10, St. Paul writes “For we are God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. The Ladies of Marshall shall continue to show love to our neighbours and the entire community through the Marshallan Relief and Development Services (MAREDES). However it is often said that charity begins at home so I plead with Sisters to start our charity works within our Courts. In the context of Amoris Iaetitia, we need to exhibit love. Therefore it is the onus and task of the governing system of the Local Courts to identify “needy Sisters” and begin to practice our charity within our immediate environs or confines.
On charitable words, Sisters, let us remember that a kind word can motivate a person. The tongue can give comfort and peace to people just as it can also cause a lot of harm. Let us therefore be very circumspect in whatever we say to, or even think about, our Sisters as St. Paul admonishes us in 1 Thessalonians 5:15 “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.” And again as in Philippians 2:5, St. Paul advises us that in our relationship with one another, we should have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Thus our charitable words and attitude should bring back our delinquent Sisters and not drift them away from us.
Finances
The growth of an effective organization depends on its financial strength and management. Sisters are aware they have to pay dues and other levies. When they know how these funds are utilized, I strongly believe, they will be encouraged to fulfill their obligations. Thus, there should be transparent, unambiguous, litigant-free financial records at all levels of operation. Financial policies and guidelines for expenditure should be such that handing over from one administration to the next becomes smooth and not contentious.
Strengthening the Administrative Systems of the Noble Order.
The successful reign of every Officer is anchored on a strong and vibrant working team. Teamwork should be the hallmark of every institution because as stated by Halford E. Luccock, a prominent American Methodist minister and professor of Homiletics at Yale Divinity School “no one can whistle a symphony; it takes an orchestra to play it.” A reigning Noble Lady should not think she is showcasing her abilities and single-handedly do what Napoleon could not do, only to leave the scene without building the competencies and capabilities of other Sisters. Noble Ladies should make meetings lively and give opportunity for every Sister to contribute her quota towards the growth of the Noble Order. The leadership of the Noble Order is built on the continuum growth ad infinitum of the strengths, potentials and opportunities of its entire membership. Therefore various roles and responsibilities of the Executive Committees, the Cabinets and the Advisory Boards of the governing system at all levels should harness and synergize potential talents for the growth of the Noble Order.
Spirituality
At the initial stages of joining the Noble Order there was the zeal to build upon or strengthen our spiritual growth. Individually, however, this desire over time either deepens or wanes. Consequently, there is the need to examine how our spiritual growth has impacted on the spiritual pathways of our Sisters and /or Brothers. If we have not positively moved from one stage to the next level then there is an urgent need to start because, after all, it is often said “better late than never” and again it is emphasized by Lao Tzu (Laozi), an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Let the Courts make use of their Chaplains and individual Sisters should also have confidence and trust in their personal spiritual directors in order to grow in the Lord. I will also suggest that the “Good of the Order” period during Court meetings should be utilized effectively. Should Sisters miss Holy Mass or the enthronement of the Bible session at the beginning of the meeting, due to whatever reason, some five-minutes spiritual session at the end of every meeting should be organized. Sisters can use that time to learn particular Odes, Catholic doctrines and social teachings, excepts from the Noble Order’s Manual, Constitution as well as Bible sharing messages from other Sisters. The sense of belongingness should be experienced during this period and Sisters should leave every meeting as having been uplifted spiritually to one higher level. It should be the time to learn. Some years back at the Standing Committee level, members learnt songs whilst the Committee of Past Grand Ladies had their side meetings.
The quest for our spiritual growth should not be for our good only. As Mahatma Gandhi, a pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism during British-ruled India, said “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”, so we must let our lights shine to reflect the Christ-like nature we have acquired. We need therefore to live positive lives and have positive impacts, imprints and influence on the people we interact, live and work with.
Guidance for the Junior Order
In Pope Francis’ encyclical Amoris Iaetitia, we are enjoined to love and uplift the youth and we have the obligation to do so because as in Matthew 25: 40, Christ tells us that “Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me”. In this era of free press, infringement on human rights and enhancement of the usage of Information Technology (IT), the youth are at chaotic crossroads. They are confused from bombardment and conflicts of information from various sources including websites, peers and from adults. They have to filter these in order to make good decisions. We cannot leave them to depend on their youthful exuberances to make mistakes and wrong choices.
Our Holy Father in the same encyclical under the topic ‘Towards a better education of children’ writes that “only if we (as a Family/ The Noble Order) devote time to our children (The Junior Order), speaking of important things with simplicity and concern and finding healthy ways for them to spend their time, will we be able to shield them from harm”. According to the Pontiff “Vigilance is always necessary and neglect is never beneficial.”
This has also been echoed by Albert Einstein, the German-born theoretical physicist and founder of the theory of relativity, that, “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything”.
Our Holy Father claims that “what is most important is the ability lovingly to help these children grow in freedom, maturity, overall discipline and real autonomy”. We therefore need to find out “where these children (The Junior Brothers and Sisters) stand in terms of their convictions, goals, desires and dreams”.
I believe, my dear Sisters, the time to act is now and we need to really focus on our youth, the Junior Order.
Towards the Beatification of Sir James Marshall
Sisters our joy will be full the day Sir James Marshall will be beatified. Having launched the fund towards this Sainthood Cause, I believe we need to back it with sincere prayers. Over three decades ago when the current Supreme Director in the company of others Officers and members were longing to locate the tomb of Sir James Marshall, the Lord manifested himself after two-and-half hours of search. At noon time during the praying of the Angelus this dream was fulfilled on 16th October at Mortlake cemetery in Britain. Therefore together with the in-coming Supreme Knight, we are proposing that this date be observed strictly as a day of prayer.
Conclusion
Your Grace, My Lord Bishops, Supreme Director, Supreme Chaplain, Supreme Assistant Chaplains, Past Supreme Knights, Past Grand Ladies, Supreme Knight, in-coming Supreme Knight, Deputy Grand Lady, State Noble Ladies (Past & Present), Respected Ladies and my dear Sisters of the Marshallan Fraternity, in concluding, I would like to thank you once again for being here to rejoice with me.
However, Sisters, in our quest to address all these issues let us not forget how our Creator can sail us through. Together with the Psalmist let us say; “I lift up my eyes to the mountains-where does my help comes from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” Psalm121:1-2
I know the Good and Gracious Lord will definitely help us:
- To extend love to the poor and vulnerable in society, to our needy Sisters in our various Courts, to our delinquent Sisters, to our Junior Brothers and Sisters and even to those who seemingly do not like us.
- To build the financial backbone of our Local, Regional, State and Grand Courts.
- To deepen our individual and collective spirituality.
- To be mindful always to build a resilient team to carry out programmes and projects in order to enhance the image and growth of the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall.
- To pray for and support the Beatification of Sir James Marshall.
Long Live the Noble Order of the Knights & Ladies of Marshall
Long Live The Holy Mother The Catholic Church
I thank you once again for your attention and may the Good Lord richly bless us ALL.