On 24th April 2022, Divine Mercy Sunday, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, launched two separate important documents on Diocesan Child Protection Policy and a Ten-Year Diocesan Pastoral Strategic Plan which were born out of the splendid hard work of two committees put in place by the Diocesan Bishop three years ago for the purpose of Child protection and roadmap for development and pastoral/evangelisation enhancement respectively in the Diocese. The Prelate of Koforidua also inaugurated two different committees to ensure the implementation of the documents.
First, Child Protection Committee headed by Very Rev. Fr Joseph Aggrey Quainoo, a Canon Lawyer and Chancellor of the Diocese. Second, Diocesan Pastoral Strategic Plan Implementation Team with Rev. Msgr. Francis Twum-Barimah, the Vicar General, as the Chairman. These two Committees were given Episcopal Mandate to ensure that the documents are well implemented within the Diocese of Koforidua.
This ceremony took place at St Dominic Catholic Church, Adweso-Koforidua, during a thanksgiving Mass to climax the Annual Pastoral Leaders’ Seminar of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua dubbed ‘Mini-Synod’, which begun on 21st April, 2022 at the Diocesan Pastoral and Training Centre in Koforidua.
Before the inauguration of the Committee responsible for the implementation of the Child Policy document, Rev. Fr. Michael Numekevor Junior (a Lawyer) delivered an inaugural speech on the Child Protection Policy. He pointed out that, the child abuse cases that surfaced in Europe and America induced the need for this Policy and that it was a Papal mandate from His Holiness, Pope Francis to all Episcopal Conferences to enact such a Policy in the various Local Churches across the globe. ‘Never again should a child be abused in the Holy Roman Catholic Church; for children are the future of the Church and the world at large. Any child that is abused is likely to also abuse’, were the closing remarks of Fr. Michael.
The committee members for Child protection in the Koforidua Diocese are Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Q. Aggrey (Chairman), Very Rev. Fr. Sebastian Hackman Owusu Mensah, Rev. Fr. Frederick Opoku-Obeng, SVD, Rev. Fr. Michael Numekevor Jnr, Sr. Providencia Mireku, HDR, Ms. Janet Adenyo, and Mr. James B. Awumeh, were called upon to commit to the policy’s effectiveness in the protection of all children, and child-offenders duly brought to book within the space of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua. The Bishop prayed over them.
After the Committee members of the Child Protection Policy were inaugurated and commissioned, the Bishop himself launched the Policy Document to the glory of God and 10 copies were auctioned.
The inauguration of committee members and the launching of the Diocesan Pastoral Strategic Plan took a similar form as that of the Child Protection Policy. The Ten-year (2022-2032) Pastoral Strategic Plan of the Koforidua Diocese is intended to build and develop a ‘Self-reliant Church’. Rev. Msgr. Francis Twum-Barimah (Chairman), Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Q. Aggrey, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Asumadu, Very Rev. Fr. Justin Franklin Mensah, and Very Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Abban formed the Committee Members that were inaugurated and commissioned by the Bishop, who likewise launched and auctioned the Pastoral Strategic Plan Document.
Present at the celebration were Pastoral leaders from all parishes and quasi-parishes and representatives from all the Religious Congregations and members of the Consecrated Life within the Diocese. There were other Priests and Religious present including Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby Benson, Fr. Ebenezer Abban (KODPA President), Fr. Richard Dordonu (Dean of Koforidua Deanery), and Fr. Frederick Opoku-Obeng, SVD (the host Parish Priest).
