Rev. Fr. Bernard Adjei Appiah, SVD, President of African Religious Union, Ghana (ARUG) and Cathedral Administrator for Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate in Ghana’s Eastern Region, has led Religious and other lay faithful of the Vicariate in advocating for the protection of the environment.
The Saturday 15th June, 2024 advocacy march involving the Religious carrying the banner and some placards propagating the Care of the Earth, together with Christians from the Cathedral and other neighbouring Parishes was carried out in a Candle-Light Procession from the Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital up to the small Chapel of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral, Donkorkrom, where Fr. Bernard gave a brief talk to the faithful, as a way of conscientizing them on the need to protect the Earth, which is God’s gift to humankind.
He said, ‘‘As we are all journeying along, God has given us something very beautiful, that is, the Earth. We are supposed to take care of it and not to destroy, nor spoil it,’’ he emphasized.
He continued by pointing out one of the principal ways by which Donkorkrom Community is contributing in destroying the earth, which is Plastic Pollution. He therefore charged that Christians must decease from the habit of spitting out plastic each time they want to drink sachet water.
In a demonstration using sachet water, he underlined the fact that just as they, human beings would not want to swallow the bit of plastic that remains in their mouths after bursting the water because of its harmful and poisonous nature to their stomachs, so too, they shouldn’t spit it out to the earth, for by so doing, they harm or kill the earth which is God’s own ‘stomach’.
‘‘You did not swallow it, the Earth will not also swallow it, so from now on, we don’t need to kill the earth,’’ he stressed.
He further urged the students present to take it as a duty to pick up any plastic they find littering the school compound, and calling out a representative from each of the Church groups and institutions present, with each one carrying a placard, he made them commit themselves to the protection of the Earth.
The Religious of the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom carried out the Candle-Light Procession which was one of the activities earmarked by the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana (CMSR-Gh) for the celebration of the Jubilee Year and special year for the Religious declared by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, under the theme:
‘‘Send Forth your Spirit and Renew the Face of the Earth’’ Psalm 104:30.
The procession was accompanied by flutes and the jazz ban to the dancing pleasure of all.
Sr. Stella Nwosu, MSHR, one of the Coordinators of Religious in the Vicariate thanked all who made it for the Procession and who persevered till the end despite the rains.
