The annual seminar for pastoral leaders (also known as mini-synod) in the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua recommenced this year after a three-year break as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s edition took place at the Koforidua Diocesan Pastoral and Training Centre (DPTC) from 21st April to 24th April, 2022. In keeping with the Synod of Bishops declared by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, on the Synodal Church, the theme for the four-day Mini-Synod was Synodality Process.
Participants for the Seminar consisted of representatives from the various Parishes, Quasi-Parishes, Religious Congregations, Heads of Diocesan Departments, Parish Priests, Members of the Priests’ Senate and the Diocesan Bishop. In his welcome address to open the Mini-Synod, Rev. Msgr. Francis Twum-Barimah (Vicar-General of Koforidua Diocese) encouraged the participants to participate actively in the seminar. He admonished them to freely ask questions and make contributions that would help realize the aims of the mini-Synod.
A key-note address was given on the general theme for the Synod: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission by Very Rev. Fr. Charles Boampong Sarfo (Assistant Secretary General—National Catholic Secretariat). He indicated that Pope Francis desires that everybody gets involved in the ongoing synodal process which will be concluded in Rome in the year 2023. Most. Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum in his speech also admonished participants to go and give a report to the rest of the faithful in their Parishes so that everyone gets on board in this synodal process.
The issue of Child Protection was given prominence during the seminar. In view of this, Rev. Fr. Michael Numekevor Jnr, a Lawyer and a convener for a committee charged to formulate Child Protection Policy for the Diocese made a presentation on the Child Protection Policy, prepared by the committee, to be launched by the Bishop. In his presentation, he remarked that the aim of the policy is to protect children against any form of abuses. In a presentation made on the ‘Strategic Plan of the Diocese’, Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Abban spelt out the need for Parishes to consider new ways of doing things differently from the past in the pastoral and evangelisation mission of the Church.
There were also group workshops to discuss the main questions and themes highlighting significant aspects of the Synodal Church proposed by the Pope Francis namely: Companions on the Journey, Listening, Speaking Out, Celebration, Sharing Responsibility for our Common Mission, Dialogue in Church and Society, Ecumenism, Authority and Participation, Discerning and Deciding, and Forming Ourselves in Synodality
The sessions of the mini-synod ended with a final address by Most. Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum in which he commended the ‘Synod Mothers and Fathers’ for their active and lively participation in this year’s Mini-Synod, as compared to that of previous years.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, the synod mothers and fathers joined Parishioners of St Dominic Parish at Adweso-Koforidua for a thanksgiving Mass during which the Bishop launched the Child Protection Policy Document and Pastoral Strategic Plan for the Diocese. In all, 146 representatives were present (89 lay representatives and 57 Priests and Religious).
