Rev. Fr….., Parish Priest, Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Chairman and other members of the PPC, High Officers and Brothers & Sisters of the Marshallan Fraternity, Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
We bring you warm felicitations and the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ from the Supreme Council in Sekondi and Grand Court in Kumasi, both in Ghana.
On the 18th day of November every year, we remember and celebrate our Founding Fathers and on the same occasion pray for our departed Brothers and Sisters who have joined the Noble Order above.
18th November, 1926 was the day that the Noble Order was established by 13 dedicated and committed Catholics from St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sekondi, in the Western Region, in Ghana.
The Supreme Council directs that Founders’ Day be celebrated on the nearest Sunday to 18th November, if the day itself does not fall on a Sunday. Therefore, we should have gathered together to celebrate this ceremony last Sunday Nov 20 but due to the fact that it coincided with a very significant feast of the Church, that is, the Feast of Christ the King, we had to postpone the celebration of Founders’ Day to Nov 27, 2022. Hence our gathering today for this Holy Mass.
While we celebrate our Founding Fathers, let us uphold the principles of the Noble Order based on Unity, Charity, Fraternity and Service. Brothers and Sisters let us also remind you that the original reasons for establishing the Noble Order which are still relevant in our time are:
- To inculcate in its members loyalty and fidelity to the Catholic Church and the State.
- To honour, live, promote and defend the Catholic Faith.
- To promote and enhance fraternal catholic spirit both by personal and group action in all spheres of life.
- To render assistance to its members and their families as well as the community in periods of emergency and need.
With the above principles, goals and objectives in perspective, let us continue to support our bishops as leaders of the Catholic Church in fighting against such social ills like bribery and corruption, cheating, nepotism, as well as fighting against the legalization of LGBTQI+, fighting against Galamsey, etc.
Let us also step up our charity work and rush to the assistance of the poor, needy and the under-privileged in our society, including needy Marshallan Brothers and Sisters. As you are aware, apart from Parishlevel charity work, we are also involved in National-level charity and relief work, including some most recent ones like:
- The donation of relief items to the victims of Keta Tidal Waves in the Volta Region.
- The provision of relief items to victims of Appiatse explosion in the Western Region.
- Providing relief items to the victims of the recent Weija Dam spillage.
There are more of such similar assistance required wherever we find ourselves and let us remember Matthew’s Gospel: “…whenever you did this for one of the least important of these members of my family, you did it for me”. (Matthew 25:40).
There is more work to be done. Let us put our hands to the plough and just move on without looking back as we are advised in Luke’s Gospel: “Anyone who starts to plough and then keeps looking back is of no use in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9: 62). Let us, therefore, carry out more charity work for the good of our neighbour and mankind.
As we celebrate our Founders’ Day, Brothers and Sisters, let us continue to galvanize all our efforts around the leadership of the Noble Order with the primary aim of realizing and maintaining the goals and objectives upon which the Noble Order was founded.
In conclusion, we wish you all a pleasant and peaceful feast day and may the souls of our Founding Fathers, the souls of all departed Marshallans and, indeed, the souls of all the faithful departed, through the endless mercy of God, rest in perfect peace. Amen.
Long live the Founding Fathers!
Long live the Noble Order!!
Long live our Holy Mother, the Catholic Church!!!
Long live our beloved Country…….!!!!
Supreme Knight Grand Lady
Sir Kt. Bro. Patrick Anumel MRL Sis Elizabeth Anderson-Yebuah