Catholic Charity Reaches Out to Priests at Flourishing Parish in Ghana to Wade off Sects

The leadership of the Pontifical charity organization adds, “The Priests visit these villages regularly to celebrate Holy Mass and administer the Sacraments. Meanwhile, four other villages are in the process of developing into similar outstations.”

According to ACN, some of the outstations lie up to 28 miles (45 km) from the centre of the Parish.

There are other villages, however, that are so remote that it has not yet been possible to proclaim the Gospel there, the charity organization explains, adding that the state of the roads in the area is very poor.

“In the rainy season many of these tracks degenerate into almost unnavigable rivers of mud. What is needed here is a powerful and robust all-terrain vehicle,” ACN says, adding that the only means of transport that the Capuchin Priests have are a motorbike and an old car.

The organization explains, in reference to the two means of transport, “Better than nothing, of course, but it means that they simply cannot minister to the outstations as intensively as they need to.”

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This, ACN notes, is posing a challenge to the Priests who are unable to fulfill the spiritual and social needs of the people under their pastoral care.

It also means that there is a danger of invasion by sects, the Catholic Charity reports, and explains, “wherever the Church cannot be physically present, there is the danger of an invasion by the sects.”

ACN reports that roughly 70 percent of Ghana’s population are Christians, most of whom belong to a variety of different Protestant denominations.

Approximately 15 percent of the population of Christians are Catholics, the organization reports, noting that the rest of the population, particularly among the followers of the traditional African religions, are many who are interested in Christianity.

“For them, the Good News of Christ means liberation from their fear of sorcery and evil spirits,” the Catholic Pontifical organization says.

To help the Capuchin Priests in their work to evangelize remote parts of Ghana, ACN has promised Fr. Robinson Melkis of St. Michael Parish Priest some contribution toward the purchase of a new vehicle that can navigate the region.

The organization quotes Fr. Melkis request for the vehicle to help in pastoral visits in the Ghanaian villages, saying, “These pastoral visits are essential in order to keep the flame of the Christian faith alive in the hearts of the faithful.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.