Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, Bishop of Koforidua Diocese, has been elected as the Vice President of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) at the just ended 4th General Assembly held from the 2nd-9th May, 2022, in Abuja-Nigeria.
The RECOWA-CERAO comprises 154 Catholic Dioceses spread across 11 Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in 16 countries of Anglophone and Francophone Africa. The 16 countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Guinee, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritania, and Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, and Togo.
Previously, Bishop Afrifah served as the Chairperson of the Biblical, Theological and Liturgical Commission.
May the Good Lord grant you more wisdom, good health and strength to continue serving under His mercies.
Congratulations to the Bishop 🙌
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.
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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.
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It is that time of the year again when during the Holy Week, at the various Cathedrals and Basilicas in Dioceses and Archdioceses of the Catholic Church, the celebration of Mass of the Holy Oils, popularly referred to as the Chrism Mass, is organized. These oils are blessed and consecrated to be used for the Sacraments, as demonstration of our communion with the people we serve.
On Tuesday, 12th April, the 2022 version of the Koforidua Diocesan Chrism Mass was colourfully celebrated at the St. George Catholic Cathedral Church, Koforidua, with the Liturgy presided over by the Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, and concelebrated by Priests in the Diocese. Also at the celebration were some Religious Brothers and Sisters, delegates from each parish and outstations, health professionals and institutions as well as parishioners from the Cathedral.
In addressing the congregation, the Bishop, reflecting from the First Reading recalls Isaiah’s exhortation that the Lord has anointed us. "Each one of us has been anointed in Baptism, some of us deepened that commitment in our anointing at Ordination.
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