The Dagaaba Catholic Association has held its three-day annual retreat at the Our Lady of Calvary Grotto in Techiman in the Bono East Region, bringing together members, clergy and other participants for spiritual reflection, renewal of faith and the promotion of unity among members.
The retreat focused on the life and virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly her humility, endurance, patience and unwavering faith in God, with participants encouraged to draw inspiration from her example in strengthening their Christian lives, marriages, families and daily activities.
The Association’s Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Martin Kanyire Ninsaala, said the retreat was organized to encourage members to walk in the footsteps of the Blessed Virgin Mary and learn from her humility, endurance and patience in the Lord.
“The motive of this year’s retreat is to walk in the footsteps of the Blessed Virgin Mary and learn from her humility, endurance and patience in the Lord to help improve our faith, marriages, lives and daily activities.” He said.
According to him, the various messages delivered during the three-day programme centred on Mary’s willingness to accept God’s plan during the visitation and her ability to remain steadfast in her faith despite the numerous challenges she encountered as the mother of Jesus Christ.
He explained that the central message of the retreat was for members to learn to surrender to God’s will and remain faithful throughout their individual journeys in life.
“Our message was simple: in all that we do, we should say ‘Yes’ to God and hold on to our faith from the beginning to the end of every life journey we embark on,” Rev. Fr. Ninsaala stated.
He expressed hope that the lessons from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary would help members strengthen their faith and positively influence their marriages, families and everyday responsibilities.
As the Christmas festivities approach, the Association’s Chaplain also used the opportunity to caution drivers and other road users against reckless behaviour on the roads.
He urged motorists and all road users to respect traffic regulations and exercise caution to prevent road accidents, stressing the need for everyone to contribute to a safe festive season.
“As the year approaches its end, I would like to use this opportunity to advise drivers and all road users to respect the rules and regulations governing road usage to prevent accidents, by doing so, we can all enjoy the Christmas festivities without any unfortunate incidents,” he said.
Rev. Fr. Solomon Leiber Bezen, speaking on behalf of the Wa Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. Francis Bomansaan, M. Afr., conveyed the Bishop’s message on the importance of preserving cultural identity and introducing younger generations to their cultural heritage and roots.
He explained that the Bishop had entrusted representatives with the responsibility of attending the programme on his behalf due to his busy schedule and had asked them to extend his greetings and best wishes to all Dagaaba Catholics.
“My Lord bishops have given us the mandate to represent them because of their busy schedules. He has asked us to convey his greetings to all Dagaaba Catholics and wish them the best in all their endeavours.” He stated
He urged parents and guardians to make deliberate efforts to teach their children about their culture and where they come from, explaining that such efforts would enable them to grow with a strong understanding of their roots and identity while deepening their Christian faith.
“The key message he is sending to all of you is that you should make every effort to teach your wards their culture and where they come from so that, as they grow in culture and faith, they will know their roots and identity. When they return home, they will not come as strangers but as people who love and appreciate their heritage,” he said.
He further conveyed the Bishop’s blessings and prayers for the association, asking God to bless members’ work, education and other endeavours while granting them the wisdom and understanding to continue serving Him and humanity.
Meanwhile, the Diocesan Chairman of the Dagaaba Catholic Association, Charles Nangpelle, has expressed gratitude to members of the association, particularly the diocesan executives, and the clergy who travelled from different locations to participate in the retreat.
He described the three-day programme as successful and attributed its peaceful organisation to the grace of God.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the Dagaaba Catholic Association, especially the Diocesan Executives, for making the three-day programme a success. We are grateful to Almighty God for granting us peace and serenity throughout the organisation of the programme,” Mr Nangpelle said.
He expressed the hope that the peace, unity and togetherness achieved during the retreat would be sustained to strengthen the association and improve the lives of its members, their families and the wider communities.
“It is our prayer that we will build on the peace and unity achieved through this programme to help grow the association and, most importantly, improve our lives, families and communities at large, to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord,” he added.
On behalf of the association, Mr Nangpelle also extended his appreciation to the clergy from different locations who attended the programme and supported its spiritual activities.
The retreat ended with a renewed call for members to uphold Christian values, strengthen their bonds of unity and apply the spiritual and moral lessons from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary in their daily lives.
Source: Newspyramid.com
