Archbishop of Tokyo and President of Caritas International, Most Rev. Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD has said that true success in missionary work hinges on faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Speaking at the ordination of five men to the priesthood for the Ghana-Liberia Province of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) at the St. Sylvanus Catholic Church in Accra on August 10, Archbishop Kikuchi urged the newly ordained priests to be symbols of hope amid a world fraught with conflict and darkness.
He noted that the success of a missionary is defined not by wealth, fame, or prestigious positions but by faithfulness to the Gospel. “A successful missionary is not the number, it is not the wealth, it is not the fame, it is not the prestigious position but about faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he explained.
He further encouraged the new priests to emulate Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, by dedicating themselves fully to their pastoral duties. “Imitate Jesus Christ by listening to, walking with, praying with, and being willing to lay down your lives for the people you shepherd,” he urged.
The ordination marked Archbishop Kikuchi’s twentieth anniversary as a bishop, a milestone he celebrated with gratitude. He expressed appreciation to Fr. Stephen Dagodzi, Vice Provincial Superior of the SVD, for the invitation and reminisced about his missionary work in Ghana from 1986 to 1994. “Ghana is like a second home to me,” he said.
Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Narh Asare, who concelebrated the Mass, urged the faithful to pray for the Church and its priests, encouraging them to let their faith positively influence their lives.
