catholics-from-ghana

"We want to work on evangelization and human development in a difficult are of our country. We are counting on support from the Church in Ghana and the aid from our sister Churches in other countries. However, we also hope to become self-reliant. It is a long-term project."

"How can we continue to look on in desperation when the Gospel message is so loud and clear on the inviolability of the dignity of every human being? Looking back to the past with gratitude, we have seen how the power and light of the Gospel have made inroads into every facet of society, challenging cultural practices such as the "Spirit child" phenomenon and the belief and practice of witchcraft."

"Since I came here about 44 years ago, I have found all the people very cooperative and understanding. They really were open to my peace work, and today we have peaceful coexistence."

"As an Akyem, we used to say, "Akyemkwa onum birem nsuo," meaning we drank from the Birim River. Can we still say that now?"

"I think each one of us, wherever we are, we are called to serve, and that is what will make us great, not the title."

"We must not be afraid to name and shame the devil or to correct the ills of society if we want to be a truly reconciled African continent."

"Be servants to the people entrusted to you and ensure you practice what you preach to the people of God. As Priests to be ordained, do not seek the things of the world but make yourselves available always for the Word and preach the Word like Christ Himself. You have to work in the Lord's vineyard with zeal and shepherd the people of God with humility. You are to lead the flock to worship God in peace."

"When you sit on the money for the poor, they will cry and God will hear them."

"As we look forward to Christmas, I encourage all to celebrate in moderation, let us remember to share our joy with the poor and less privileged. God gave Jesus to us as a gift and we must also offer ourselves as gifts to other, in terms of doing whatever we can to bring peace, comfort and solace to others"

"We often talk about inculturation as if it had to do only with the liturgy. However, inculturation embraces the totality of human life, including morality, spirituality and forms of religious life. Inculturation should lead us to find ways of handling effectively some of the many evils of our present day society."

"Evangelisation must take into account the needs of those who are being evangelised. Hence, there is the need to educate people to be self-supporting."

"there are several countries in Africa which are guilty of abusive use and treatment of the gift of Creation. Over and above the bizarre instances of citizens from African countries accepting monies from European countries to provide dumping grounds in their own countries for industrial toxic waste, the greatest abuse and misuse of the environment are registered in the areas of extractive industries, such as mining and drilling for oil, and lumbering."

"The story of my vocation is very simple. Maybe every priestly vocation comes out of an apparently trivial reason, but then grows and clarifies in the seminary. A vocation is a bit like the starter mechanism of a car, the spark that starts the engine."

"We want to leverage the objectives of business—not only profit and monetary gain—but also the transformational value that it brings to society—making life better, worth living, equitable, and inclusive. I remain optimistic about the potential for positive transformation."

"In terms of training or the competence of the personnel, we try to work together with other organizations like Caritas, which typically has competent staff. In local churches, there are also other bodies. As for resources, we sometimes receive funding from here, under the castle. But we also receive support from other entities with philanthropic objectives that are ready to commit funds and resources to this development. Cross Catholic Outreach falls into that category; they can raise funds and support various development initiatives. So far, they have done an excellent job. I have recently come to know them, although some have known them better from their past relationship with the dicastery. We have found them to be dependable, beneficial and supportive benefactors of some of these projects aimed at promoting the development of people. They help support those in need, whether by assisting with facilities, providing food or promoting agricultural development."

"As quoted in Fr. Dave Caron, Interview With Cardinal Peter Turkson (March 15, 2024)"

"Giant slayers don’t waste weapons on ants...when God places his oil on you, you choose your battles. Choose your battles. It is not every battle you fight."

"Lions don’t respond to frogs."

"The missionaries provided health services to the local people. In fact, they treated their sores and cured them of simple ailments that they were suffering from. These actions, coupled with the desire to learn the language and culture of the people endeared them to the local people because they experienced true love from these "strangers" and therefore decided to join the "new religion" - Catholicism."

"Aware that in every competition there are bound to be winners and losers, we wish to call on all stakeholders to exhibit maturity in accepting both defeat and victory. In this way, reactions to any of the two conditions would be measured, modest and charitable towards one another."

"We are already struggling to teach morality to our children at all levels in our schools and they want to bring this in. It is unacceptable."

"The presence of 22 different ethnic groups in our diocese is a problem but it is also a reason for hope for the future. It presents a challenge because it means being familiar with 22 different traditions and customs, but it is also a motive for hope because these differences are a source of mutual enrichment."

"Communication has so often been misused to foster divisions, intolerance, and hatred on our continent, besides spreading a negative image of Africa both within the continent and outside. This communication initiative aims at enhancing a true image and appreciation of the Church in Africa and the best way of realizing this is by engaging Africans in telling their stories."