Sekondi-Takoradi Catholic Diocese ordains 10 priests

The Sekondi-Takoradi Catholic Diocese on Saturday ordained 10 new priests with a call on them to serve the Church with humility and in obedience.

They are the Reverend Fathers Celestine Owusu Darko, Francis Martin Baffoe, Richard Osei Bonsu, Paul Assafuah, and Francis Bomah Cobbinah.

The rest are Rev. Fathers Emmanuel Oduro Mintah, Godwill Nketsiah, Prince-Henry Austin K. Agyim, Marcellinus Kwofie, and John Kerson Essien.

The Most Rev. John Baptist Attakruh, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi, who ordained the priests at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Cathedral, Takoradi, urged them to nurture the virtue of humility and obedience as they began their priestly journey, saying obedience was a hallmark of a faithful priest.

The priestly journey was for a lifetime, which needed commitment and sacrifice to succeed, thus it was incumbent on them to prioritise goodness and generosity in service to God and mankind, even in times of difficulties, he said.

“Ordination is a response to the God who has chosen you to serve in the mission to spread His words, therefore, I urge you all to be God’s representatives of the Church and obey His will and plans.”

The Most Rev. Attakruh encouraged the new priests to avail themselves to the needs of the people they served, give off their best, and uphold the core mandates of the priesthood.

“Being a priest is not a profession but like a vocation. So being ordained as a one should not give you a sense of privilege and self-entitlement,” he admonished.

While urging them to make prayer a core component of their daily lives, Most Rev. Attakruh prayed for dignity of priesthood to suit the purpose of their call to service, while being faithful to the leadership of the Church.

He commended the various families for allowing their sons to serve the Lord and mankind and called for continuous prayers and support to enable them to succeed.

The ordained priests blessed the Bishop and their parents to mark the beginning of their priestly office.

The colourful ordination mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. Attakruh and more than 50 other priests, and attended by parishioners, seminarians, and family and friends of the new priests, among others.