High Officers, Brothers and Sisters of the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall. We bring you peaceful, fraternal greetings from the Supreme Council and Grand Court in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Today is Marshallan Day. “Indeed, this is the day the Lord has made and we shall rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:23).
We have over the years celebrated the day at our various Parishes and it had always been characterized by our gatherings, exhibiting bonds of unity, solidarity, and fraternity, as well as acts of charity and service. We normally celebrate the Marshallan Day in Thanksgiving to God for His mercies and goodness that He continues to shower on the Noble Order. To Him be the glory.
While celebrating Marshallan Day, let us pause and ponder for a moment over one of the recognizable attributes of the noble man after whom the Noble Order was named, Sir James Marshall: the attribute of being persistently committed to evangelization. Let us reflect on the commitment of Sir James Marshall to the evangelization of the people of the Gold Coast (now Ghana). With the spirit of evangelization, he led the effort to champion the re-establishment of the Catholic Church in the then Gold Coast. Through his appeals and efforts, Propaganda Fide, on the approval of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII, assigned the Society of African Missions (SMA) to the Gold Coast. It was through his appeals that two pioneer priests (Rev. Frs. Auguste Mureau and Eugene Murat) were posted to the Gold Coast on 18th May 1880 to sow the seed of evangelization through the establishment of the Catholic Church. It is also known that Sir James Marshall, who was then the Chief Justice of the Gold Coast, offered the two priests the encouragement and assistance they required to ensure that the Catholic faith was established. Sir James Marshall therefore played a significant role in the establishment and growth of the Catholic Church in the Gold Coast and by extension, West Africa.
As we celebrate one of our joyous feast days, Marshallan Day, and remember Sir James Marshall, let us also reflect on the genesis of our Noble Order, the Founding Fathers, and our Forefathers; let us always remember the tenets of our Noble Order: Unity, Charity, Fraternity and Service; let us also be mindful of our objectives, duties and obligations and lead such lives as will attract more Catholics, and even convert nonCatholics, to join the Noble Order. In this way, by our thoughts, actions and words, we shall be seen to be involving ourselves directly and/or indirectly, in the process of evangelization, and winning more souls for Christ.
We wish all our Marshallan Brothers and Sisters Happy Marshallan Day.
We pray for the peace of the world, especially in Ukraine and Russia.
Long live the Noble Order of Knights and Ladies of Marshall!
Long live Holy Mother, the Catholic Church!!
Long live our Dear Nation!!!
Signed: Signed:
Sir Kt. Patrick Kobina Anumel MRL Sis. Elizabeth Anderson-Yebuah (Supreme K
