The Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta has ordained and installed Bishop
for the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese of the Catholic Church in the Upper
East region.
The Diocese has been without a substantive bishop for about one and
half years after the immediate past bishop, the late Bishop Lucas
Abadamloora died last two years.
Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta was born
on 20th January, 1959 in Wiaga in the Builsa District. He had his
elementary and middle school education in the same village from 1964 to
1974.
The Bishop attended many others.
Until his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI to head the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese of the Catholic Church, Most Rev. Agyenta was a lecturer and a formator at the St. Victor’s and St. Augustine Millennium Seminary where he helped produce many priests for the church.
Until his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI to head the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese of the Catholic Church, Most Rev. Agyenta was a lecturer and a formator at the St. Victor’s and St. Augustine Millennium Seminary where he helped produce many priests for the church.
Bishop Alfred Agyenta was first
ordained priest on August 06, 1988 and stationed at the Our Lady of
Seven Sorrows Cathedral in Navrongo.
In his homily, the Bishop for the Konongo-Mampong Diocese of the church, Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu, noted that the ordination coincided with the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul whom he said the church considers as inseparable. He said St Peter and St Paul are considered to be the founders of the church in Rome.
Bishop Osei-Bonsu therefore charged Catholics to reflect on the importance of Saints Peter and Paul and their contribution to the church, the great transformation that God effected in both men and the “martyrdom of the these two great apostles”.
In his homily, the Bishop for the Konongo-Mampong Diocese of the church, Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu, noted that the ordination coincided with the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul whom he said the church considers as inseparable. He said St Peter and St Paul are considered to be the founders of the church in Rome.
Bishop Osei-Bonsu therefore charged Catholics to reflect on the importance of Saints Peter and Paul and their contribution to the church, the great transformation that God effected in both men and the “martyrdom of the these two great apostles”.
Referring to the lives of Saints Peter
and Paul as chronicled in the Bible, he charged the new bishop to
preach God’s salvation message at all times, fight for the cause of the
marginalised, the weak and the oppressed and also speak against human
rights violations without fear for the consequences that may follow.
Bishop
Osei-Bonsu who is also the president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops
Conference, advised Bishop Agyenta not to assume monopoly over wisdom
but rather consult and listen to counsel and try at all times, to be
accessible to his priests and the parishes.
He also urged the various
parishes and the church community to cooperate and support the new
bishop to succeed.
The Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, Hon. Alex Essuman-Ahinsa who led a government delegation to the ordination ceremony, pledged that government will continue to partner the Catholic Church in providing for the spiritual, educational and health needs of the people.
The Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, Hon. Alex Essuman-Ahinsa who led a government delegation to the ordination ceremony, pledged that government will continue to partner the Catholic Church in providing for the spiritual, educational and health needs of the people.
He recalled the efforts the church has
made over the years in establishing educational and health facilities
in rural areas of the country.
The minister later donated 2,000 Ghana
Cedis in support of the newly ordained bishop.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, H.E. Most Rev Leon B. Kalenga who was the principal ordaining bishop appealed to the leadership of the diocese and the lay faithful to unit as one big family in the faith and do everything possible to iron out any differences that may have been created in the processes leading to the selection of the new bishop.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, H.E. Most Rev Leon B. Kalenga who was the principal ordaining bishop appealed to the leadership of the diocese and the lay faithful to unit as one big family in the faith and do everything possible to iron out any differences that may have been created in the processes leading to the selection of the new bishop.