125th Anniversary Marked At Denu Three-Town

Thousands of Catholics, resplendent in their centenary cloth recently converged at Three-Town, Denu in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese for a concelebrated Pontifical Mass to climax the 125 years of Catholicism of the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

The Mass was presided over by Most Rev. Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, SVD, Bishop of Keta-Akatsi and concelebrated by seven Priests including Rev. Fr. James Mikado, the Parish Priest.

Present at the Mass were many Chiefs and government dignitaries including the Minister for land and Natural Resources, Mr. Peter Amewu, who represented President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; Mr. Maxwell Blagogee; the Deputy Volta Regional Minister; Madam Catherine Afeku, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture; and Mr. Francis Nyonyo Agboada, a Member of the Council of State.

In a homily, Bishop Kumordji traced the history of the Church in the area and stated that the three-Town Communities of Denu, Adafienu and Hedzranawo has been transformed over the past 125 years.

He noted that God had done many things for the people and the Church over the century and it was time for the faithful to be agents of God’s Kingdom on earth through unity, understanding and love.

He urged the faithful to eschew all forms of tendencies that could lead them into unchristian lives, entreating them to make hard work, commitment and dedication their hallmark. The Bishop advised them to be united as one people with a common destiny to continue to build the Catholic Faith, which had brought them this far.

He was grateful to God, the Priests, the Religious and all those who in diverse ways had supported the Church to develop to this level, praying that the three communities would be renewed in the love of God.

He reiterated the Church’s call on President Akufo-Addo to consider granting the Catholic University College of Ghana at Fiapre, a Presidential Charter for it to become a fully-fledged autonomous University.

He also urged government to expedite action on the Church-State Partnership agreement on education, commending the government for its fight against the galamsey menace.

In a brief remark, Mr. Amewu assured the Catholic Church of the government’s commitment of considering the appeal for a Presidential for the Catholic University because the Church is a partner of government in education delivery in the country.

The Minister noted that the Catholic Church had impacted Christian ideals, virtues and values in people through the establishment of Schools, health facilities and the provision of social services which had transformed their socio-economic lives.

He stated that government’s appreciation of the invaluable contributions of the Church and prayed that it would grow from strength to strength, commending the St. Anthony of Padua Church for the many successes chalked over the years.

President Akufo-Addo donated GHc20,000 while other government officials pledged to support the Church with GHc65, 000.00 towards the Parish Hall project as part of its 125 years anniversary celebration.

The Parish also donated a framed photo with the prayers of St. Anthony of Padua to the President through the Minister.

In a welcome, Fr. Mikado, expressed the Parish’s recognition and appreciation of the invaluable services the people had rendered to the Church individually and collectively.

At the national level, he commended the government for improving the general standard of living of the people particularly the free Senior High School and the National Identification Card programmes.

He said the opening of the border in the Ketu-South Municipality, for 24 hours had improved the relationships between the people living along the border and their counterparts.

The establishment of the Catholic Church in the Three-Town was based on the Baptism of the first three Christians by Fr. Thuet on April 1, 1893. They were Joseph Amewozu Gbogbo of Adina, John Serge Gbogbo of Adafienu and Alfred Agbenu Tsikata of Adafienu.