Ghanaians keep traditions intact

Arlington, VA (Catholic Herald) - Bishop Paul S. Loverde spent Sunday celebrating Mass with the Ghanaian community of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church. The Mass, celebrated at St. Paul's Episcopalian Church in Falls Church, marks the first time the bishop has attended one of the community's weekly Masses.

"The idea that we have the bishop with us emphasizes the kind of unity we need in the Church, regardless of our heritage," said Joseph Kojoe Agyemang, the community's founder and first president. "The community here and (Bishop Loverde's) willingness to be with us is outstanding and we are so grateful."

Agyemang was inspired to start the community in September 2001 after he attended a marriage ceremony in Maryland officiated by the bishop of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese, Joseph Osei-Bonsu.

During the ceremony, the bishop challenged the congregation to "welcome the reign of God and form worshipping communities to support our parishes as they strive to be the body of Christ."

At the time, there was a great need in the local community for churches where Ghanaians could worship in their own language and traditions. While there were other Ghanaian Catholic communities in New York City, Chicago, Hartford, Conn., and Toronto, there was nothing in the Washington, D.C. area. As a result, many Ghanaian Catholics were leaving the Church for Pentecostal churches with Ghanaian services.

The next month, Agyemang, along with four Ghanaian friends, started a prayer group at Queen of Apostles Parish in Alexandria. The prayer group quickly grew through word of mouth and soon, it became a community.

The following September, Bishop Osei-Bonsu visited the group along with Father John Amankwaah, a priest from the archdiocese of Kumasi who was studying at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. During the visit, they met with Bishop Loverde, who encouraged the community's growth and granted them the opportunity to celebrate Ghanaian Masses with Father Amankwaah.

From there, the community kept growing. By that fall, there was a Ghanaian choir, a youth group, a St. Theresa of the Child Jesus group and a Christian Mothers Association. The community celebrated Masses at Queen of Apostles as often as Father Amankwaah's schedule would allow.

In 2003, after the death of founding member Kenneth Mensah, the group needed a place where they could celebrate a traditional Catholic burial service. Agyemang approached Father Tuck Grinnell, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, to ask for help. Father Grinnell agreed immediately and warmly welcomed the community.

This positive experience in a difficult time inspired the Ghanaian community to permanently relocate to St. Anthony of Padua Parish in November 2003. Ever since the move, the community has grown by leaps and bounds.

In their time at St. Anthony of Padua, the community has hosted many visitors, including Ghanaian priests, bishops and archbishops. They have their own resident priest, Father Augustine Owusu Sekyere of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese.

Now the community boasts approximately 300 members. According to Father Grinnell, about 20 percent of the community is from Woodbridge, and others come from D.C., Maryland and as far away as Delaware.

Because of scheduling restraints at the parish, the Ghanain community meets weekly at St. Paul's Episcopalian Church.

Agyemang said the reason the community has grown so much is because Ghanaians had no place else to go where they could celebrate Mass in their cultural tradition.

"The community started growing because people realized they could continue to celebrate in their own language with their own music, which helps them to grow," he said. "Before, they would come to church but they couldn't participate because everything was in the English language. Then it was also the culture. People want that warmness, they want to be able to talk after Mass and it was lacking."

Agyemang said he hopes the community will continue to grow and that, one day, it will foster priests and religious vocations.

During his homily Sunday, Bishop Loverde thanked the Ghanain community for their faith and their enthusiasm, which he said showed through their choir's traditional and joyful music.

"I rejoice in the presence and the gifts with which you enrich us all -- a strong vibrant faith, an enthusiasm for the Lord that is expressed in your singing and praising and, I suspect, your living at home," Bishop Loverde said.

He spoke of how difficult it can be to adapt to a new culture without losing your own heritage and he encouraged the parishioners to continue building their community and growing in their faith in order to support each other, as well as others in need.

After Mass, the community presented Bishop Loverde with gifts: a plaque of appreciation from the Christian Mothers Association, money for his ministries from the St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Group and a traditional stole from the community.

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Republished by Catholic Online with permission of the Arlington Catholic Herald , the official publication of the Diocese of Arlington, Va. (www.catholicherald.com).