www.padfm.com.gh / savannah region, Ghana
As part of a four – day pastoral visit to the Catholic Diocese of Damogo, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, His Excellency Most Rev. Henryk Mieczyslaw Jagdzinski has paid a visit to the St Cyprian Minor Seminary Senior High School at Sawla in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district of the Savannah region on Friday August 20, 2021, where he administered the sacrament of confirmation on ten (10) students of the Seminary.
The Nuncio, accompanied by the Bishop of the diocese, Most Rev. Peter Paul Yelezume Angkyier were given a rousing welcome by staff and students amidst brass band music.
In his welcome address, the Rector of the Seminary, Very Rev. Fr. Clement Cobb gave a brief history of the Seminary, stating that the Seminary was established in the year 2006 to give holistic and robust formation to self-motivated and morally upright young people to provide leadership for the Church and the society at large.
The Seminary according to the Rector, has chalked modest successes, having its first product ordained as a priest and with eight (8) others in major seminaries across the world, studying for various dioceses and arch dioceses.
The Rector also indicated that a countless number of past students of the Seminary are health professionals, including a medical doctor. He stated that most of the past students are also educational instructors and other professionals such as the military, Immigration service, politics and the likes, serving the Church and the country in diverse ways.
St. Cyprian Minor Seminary is faced with numerous challenges, but for the Rector, the need to build a fence Wall for the Seminary should call for public attention and support. He stated that without a fence Wall, the security of the students will be compromised.
The Rector also lamented at the pace at which the Seminary is loosing its already limited land due to encroachment by some arrogant and selfish individuals.
The construction of an ultra modern library complex has also come to a standstill due to lack of funds.
Despite the myriad challenges the Seminary face, it is still a model institution for academic excellence. Per the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) ranking, the Seminary is rated the best performing school in the Savannah region. It is against this back drop that the Rector appealed to the the Apostolic Nuncio by extension all benevolent individuals, groups/associations and organizations to come to the aid of the Seminary.
In a brief sermon, the Nuncio explained that the sacrament of confirmation is a foundational rite of initiation for Catholics after baptism and first communion. He therefore charged the newly confirmed and all Catholics to live exemplary lives in the society and also contribute their quoter in building the Church and society.
In choosing vocations, the Nuncio admonished the minor seminarians not to leave out the priestly and religious vocations.
The seminary community made some presentations to both the Nuncio and the Bishop, after which they inspected some ongoing projects; a new rectorate and library complex. The Nuncio planted a tree at the premises of the rectorate under construction.
The Nuncio concluded his visit with an interaction with the major seminarians of the diocese.
His Excellency Most Rev. Henryk Miczystam Jogodzinki is now the second Nuncio to visit St Cyprian Minor Seminary after His Excellency Most Rev. George Kochery.
www.padfm.com.gh / Hassan Boniface
bonifacebutewura@gmail.com
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