The Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish of Bolgatanga-Navrogo Diocese in the Upper East Region has launched the parish centenary celebration on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish Bolgatanga.
The parish, which was established on the 4th of February, 1925 by the missionaries of Africa who were on an evangelical mission to the Northern territories of the then Gold Coast now Ghana, first settled in Navrongo in 1906 and later moved to Nangodi on the 1st of February, 1925 and later moved to Bolgatanga on the 4th of February, 1925 and was received by the then chief Azanam and his uncle, Awugya.
The missionaries have played a very critical role in the Northern part of Ghana since their arrival on their evangelical mission. They have established of a lot of educational facilities, health and some irrigation dams which has gone a long way to boost the Agricultural sector.
Addressing the church congregation during the launched of the centenary under the theme “celebrating 100 years of walking together as family of God”, bishop of the Navrogo-Bolgatanga Diocese, Most Revered Bishop Alfred Agyenta admonished the church to learn two basic things about the holy family as the church is celebrating the feast of holy family. The first, the family should be encouraged to do is to present their children to God because that was the first thing Joseph and Mary did when Jesus Christ was born through them by presenting Jesus Christ to God, so that Jesus Christ could grow in wisdom and knowledge of his father to enable him do his work.
“There are two things that I want to share with you so we can learn from this holy family, the very fist thing is that as parents (Joseph and Mary), they made sure from the very beginning, they introduce their child to God, they presented Christ to God ,that is why the went to the temple, so this is what Joseph and Mary did, taking the child right back to where he belongs ,so today if we can learn any thing from this, is that as parents right from the very beginning we must introduce our children to God, valves, virtue”.
Most Rev Alfred indicated that most parents after giving birth to their children, usually leaves responsibiliies and wanting society to manage the rest of child’s life for them. He noted that such practice is not parenting practice.
He bemoaned that if parents fail to introduce their children to God, virtue, valves, which are the key pillars of every family, parents should bear in mind that the society or the school cannot also introduce those core valves to every growing child.
For him, the best way for every parent is to first of all introduce their wards to what is good, what is Godly ,what is vitreous, because whatever happens to child positively or negatively, have traces to the child’s family.
“If you don’t introduce your child to what is good, what is Godly, what is virtuous you can forget ,the school is not going to do that, the society is not going to do that it must begin from the family, there are parents who just birthday to children and that is all , whatever happens to them , they are busy, but that is not the role of the parent, right from the beginning once you brought the child into world you have a responsibility to ensure that this child is God fearing and this is properly trained so that he can contribute tosociety”. Bishop Alfred Agyenta.
Series of activities has been embarked on the parishioners to the centenary of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish Bolgatanga.
Some of the major activities include centenary mass wedding May 2025, 60th priestly anniversary of Msgr Roger Aboteyuure,15 May,2025, Pilgrimage to Navrogo Basilica (Walking by foot ), local gospel artist music night 3rd January, 2025,centenary dinner banquet 29th December 2024,Missionary children day/ talent show,healing mass service 23rd November, 2024, outreach day or evangelism ,women day 12 May 2024 as well Single parents /guardians seminar 18 May 2024 etc.
Source:mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya