Pope of Orthodox Church commissions new computer lab

His Beatitude Theodoros II, the Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, has commissioned a fully furnished computer lab at the St. Peter’s College, Larteh.

The newly commissioned computer lab, done over the weekend, is filled with 30 desktop computers to aid the students of the school in acquiring adequate knowledge in the Information Communication and Technology (ICT).

His Beatitude, who is also the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church, commissioned the facility as part of his 10-day official visit to Africa with the first stop being Ghana, where he paid a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and also met with the chiefs and people of Larteh.

He urged the management of the school to make a good use of the Computer Lab, ensuring that it is utilised to achieve its main purpose and bringing glory to God.

The Patriarch thanked President Akufo-Addo and the chiefs and people of Larteh for the warm reception afforded him and his entourage. He said the Church would establish its Clergy Seminary in Ghana to host all English-Speaking West African countries and one at Kinshasa for the French-Speaking countries.

St. Peter’s College is a private school established by Orthodox Church to help young people who could not pass their Basic Education Certificate Examination by preparing them to write the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination. It currently has 21 students for Forms one and two.

Mr Ambrose Asare, the Vice Principal of the St. Peter’s College said the computer lab would have a good impact on teaching and learning as the school has been struggling with teaching students to have a practical knowledge in ICT.

He said as the world was currently in a computer age, it had become necessary for every young person to acquire computer skills and commending the Church for helping the school with the ultra-modern computer lab.

Mr Asare said the school runs courses in General Arts, Business and Home Economics, adding that management of the school plans to add courses of National Vocation Training Institute courses to help train young people in the town and its environs acquire practical skills.

This is the second visit of the Pope and Patriarch to Ghana with the first being in 2005 when he entreated the African clergy, politicians and the media to work harder to transform the vast resources of the continent into higher levels of development.

His Beatitude will also visit Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone as part of his visit and would meet with the faithful people as well as lay foundation block for the construction of a new church building in Ivory Coast.

He is also expected to inaugurate an orphanage school for the people of Sierra Leon as part of free visit.

The Orthodox Church in Ghana was received into canonical Orthodoxy under Patriarchate in 1982.

There are currently thousands of Orthodox Christians in Ghana under the pastoral care of 20 Ghanaian Orthodox priests, who are blessed by the spiritual direction of His Eminence, Archbishop Narkissos, the Archbishop of the Orthodox Church, Ghana.