TALK DELIVERED DURING THE TEMA REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF KNIGHTS AND LADIES OF MARSHALL
DATE: SATURDAY, 2ND AUGUST, 2025
THEME:: MARSHALLANS AS PILGRIMS OF HOPE: REFLECTIONS IN A JUBILEE YEAR TOWARDS A CENTURY OF SERVICE TO THE CHURCH
Introduction
The theme “Marshallans as Pilgrims of Hope: Reflections in a Jubilee Year Towards a Century of Service to the Church” calls for both celebration and sober reflection. A Jubilee year is not merely a commemoration of time passed; it is a sacred pause in our journey, a God-given opportunity to assess our past, rekindle our mission, and re-commit to the road ahead.
The term “Pilgrim of Hope” carries profound significance. A pilgrim is not a wanderer without direction, but one who moves with clear purpose towards a sacred destination. It right away suggests a person on a sacred journey. For us, that destination is holiness of life, service to the Church, and the fulfillment of our mission as Knights and Ladies of Marshall. “Hope” here is not mere wishful thinking; it is a theological virtue rooted in God’s promises, sustained by faith, and expressed through acts of love. It reminds us that this journey is not fuelled by despair, but by joyful expectation — expectation that God, who has begun this good work in us, will bring it to completion (cf. Philippians 1:6).
The Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year calls us to rediscover this journey, and this Jubilee year is especially significant because the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall stands on the threshold of its centenary. Founded in 1926, our Order has been a pillar of Catholic witness, fraternity, and service in Ghana and beyond. As we prepare to cross this historical milestone, the Church invites us to deepen our identity as bearers of hope in a world increasingly marked by uncertainty, moral decline, and division.
Thus, the question arises:
As we journey toward our centenary, what kind of people are we called to be?
The answer: Pilgrims of Hope — not tourists of tradition, but torchbearers of a future anchored in faith, formed by love, and fired by hope.
THE JUBILEE CONTEXT: A TIME OF GRACE AND RENEWAL
In biblical tradition, a Jubilee Year is a sacred time, occurring every 50 years. This Jubilee tradition finds its roots in the Old Testament, particularly in Leviticus 25. God commanded the people of Israel to observe a year of Jubilee every fifty years.
This year was marked by:
- Restoration of land to its original owners.
- Release of debts and liberation of those enslaved because of poverty.
- Rest for the land, allowing it to recover.
“You shall sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants.” (Leviticus 25:10)
The Jubilee was therefore a time of renewal, liberation, justice, and restoration — a sacred time of grace when God’s mercy was tangibly experienced in the community.
In the New Testament, Jesus proclaims in Luke 4:18-19 that He has come to “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,” effectively announcing a perpetual Jubilee for all who accept the Gospel. The Church continues this tradition, using Jubilee years as special moments of grace, repentance, and rededication.
The 2025 Jubilee Year, proclaimed by Pope Francis, carries the theme: “Pilgrims of Hope.” The Pope envisions it as a time for spiritual renewal, especially after global suffering (e.g. pandemics, wars, moral decay) urging the Church to walk together with hearts full of faith, courage, and joyful expectation.
In his letter introducing the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father writes:
“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given to us, and do everything to ensure that everyone regains the strength and certainty to look to the future with an open heart.” ( Pope Francis, Letter on the Jubilee 2025)
This is a message for the whole Church, and even more so for us, Marshallans, who are custodians of faith, hope, and charity in Ghana and beyond.
This Jubilee context is important for us as Marshallans because our centenary must be celebrated in the spirit of Jubilee — not just as an anniversary, but as a sacred moment of recommitment, reform, and re-evangelization. Again, a moment to restore relationships within the Order, renew our vows to the Church, release ourselves from spiritual complacency, and take concrete steps towards deeper service as we approach our centenary.
Who is a “Pilgrim of Hope”?
A pilgrim is someone on a journey, not just physically, but spiritually — searching, trusting, moving forward despite challenges. A pilgrim of hope is:
- A traveller with a sacred mission — not wandering aimlessly but moving toward God’s promises.
- One who walks with others, not in isolation
- Builds bridges rather than walls
- Anchored in faith — trusting in God’s providence despite adversities.
- Bearing hope for others — inspiring courage, healing, and perseverance in the community.
- Transformed by the journey — learning, growing, and becoming more Christ-like along the way.
The concept is strongly tied to Romans 12:12 — “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” — and Hebrews 11:1 — “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
As Marshallans:
We are not wanderers without direction; we are not cynics, lost in criticism or despair; we are missionary pilgrims, called to give meaning to our journey and that of others.
Pope Francis reminds us in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel):
“An evangelizing community is filled with joy; it knows how to rejoice always.” (EG 24)
As pilgrims of hope, we must be seen to walk together, rooted in our Catholic identity, committed to the ideals of unity, charity, fraternity and service, while being beacons of light in the Church and society. We are not simply members of a pious association, but men and women of faith, on a mission — guided by our Catholic values, our Constitution, and the spirit of our Founders. That is who the Marshallan Pilgrim of Hope must become — a joyful disciple in motion.
THE MARSHALLAN IDENTITY: A LEGACY OF HOPE
The Marshallan Identity is more than the symbols we wear or the rituals we practice; it is a way of life—a committed expression of Christian discipleship lived out through fraternity, service, and hope. This identity is deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, inspired by the noble ideals of Sir James Marshall and the vision of our founding fathers who, in 1926, gave birth to what has become one of the most impactful Catholic lay societies in Ghana and beyond.
The Founding Fathers: Visionaries of Faith and Unity
The Noble Order was founded on November 18, 1926, in Sekondi by thirteen (13) committed
Catholic laymen. These men, inspired by the ideals of this Irish judge and Catholic missionary Sir James Marshall, desired to create a society that would promote: Catholic unity among laymen, support for the Church and the clergy, christian formation and social outreach, and fraternity, discipline, and patriotic service.
These founders, recognizing the social and spiritual challenges of their time—colonial rule, moral laxity, educational deprivation, and marginalization of Catholics in public life—sought to build a brotherhood rooted in Christian principles and service to Church and country.
Since 1926, our Noble Order has stood as a beacon of light in the Ghanaian Church. As we near 100 years, we must ask:
What has sustained us? It is our hope in God and in the Church. What have we offered? We have offered education, social support, prayer, apostolic witness, and service. What are we called to become? Pilgrims of Hope who inspire the next generation.
Our Constitution and Code of Ethics urges us to be:
“…defenders of the Church, promoters of truth, justice, and the dignity of human life, especially the poor and vulnerable.”
This is a powerful description of the Marshallan identity which is synonymous with hope—hope in action, hope in service, and hope in evangelization.
MARSHALLANS AS BEARERS OF HOPE: WHAT WE MUST DO
In this Jubilee Year and beyond, we must live our call to be hope for others.
A. Spiritually
- Deepen our personal and communal prayer life
- Promote Eucharistic Adoration and Marian devotions
- Support the Church’s sacramental life
B. Socially
- Stand for justice, equity, and good governance
- Defend the rights of the voiceless, especially in political discourse
- Promote peace in our communities
C. Within the Noble Order
- Mentor the youth in the Noble Order with clarity and joy
- Strengthen our Charity, Benevolence, and Solidarity activities
- Invest in leadership training, especially for Ladies and young Brothers
D. In the Church
- Serve actively in liturgical and pastoral ministries
- Support vocations with prayer and financial assistance
- Be the bridge between the hierarchy and the laity
THE IMPACT ON MARSHALLANS: A PERSONAL AND COMMUNAL
TRANSFORMATION
When we embrace this call, we will witness:
- Renewed Zeal for service — not out of obligation, but conviction
- Greater Unity in the Order, grounded in a common purpose
- Personal Growth in holiness and witness
- Public Impact as we become moral voices in our nation
Quoting Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution:
“The joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the people of this age… are the joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.”
(GS, 1)
Marshallans are called to be deeply immersed in the world’s realities, but rooted in eternal hope.
THE WAY FORWARD: WALKING TOWARD THE CENTENARY
As we approach our Centenary in 2026, this Jubilee Year must be a spiritual preparation, not just logistical.
Let us:
- Develop a Jubilee Spiritual Roadmap for all councils and courts: including retreats, pilgrimages, confessions, and works of mercy
- Form study groups around Church documents (e.g. Evangelii Gaudium, Fratelli Tutti,
Christus Vivit)
- Partner with dioceses to support evangelization, catechesis, and synodality
A Closing Call: Let Us Rise in Hope
Brothers and Sisters, hope is not a passive emotion, it is not an option, but a choice. It is a bold virtue that says:
“We believe in a better Church, a better Ghana, a better Order – not because we are naïve, but because Christ is Risen!”
Let us echo the words of St. Paul to the Philippians:
“Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
(Phil. 3:13–14)
Let us press on toward our centenary — not with nostalgia, but with conviction, vision, and hope.
CONCLUSION
As Marshallans, we are not spectators in history. We are actors of hope, co-builders of a Church that journeys together, and heirs to a legacy worth continuing.
Let our Jubilee journey ignite a fire that will burn into our second century — not for ourselves, but for the glory of God and the good of His Church.
Thank you, and may our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Hope, intercede for the Noble Order.
Long live the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall!
Long live the Church in Ghana!
Long live the spirit of Hope!
Presentation by SIR KT. BRO. REV. FR. JAMES BOUR-MENSAH, ASCH