A visit to our diocese from Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie, of the Archdiocese of Accra in Ghana, coincided with the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, June 27, and resulted in an extra-special Mass at the Pastoral Center chapel in Richmond.
Bishop Barry C. Knestout celebrated the Mass. Archbishop Kwofie concelebrated, as did 10 diocesan priests who originally came from Ghana: Fr. John Agyekum, former vicar general of the Archdiocese of Accra, who arrived in Richmond in late June – Father Daniel Appiah, parochial vicar of St. Stephen, Martyr, Chesapeake – Father William Apprey, parochial vicar of Church of the Incarnation, Charlottesville, and Our Lady of the Rosary, Crozet – Father Emmanuel Appah, pastor of Good Shepherd, Lebanon; St. Mary, Coeburn; and St. Therese, St. Paul – Father John Asare – Father James Boachie, pastor of Good Samaritan, Amelia, and St. Gabriel, Chesterfield – Father Patrick Boadu, parochial vicar of St. Joseph, Hampton; St. Mary Star of the Sea, Fort Monroe; and St. Vincent de Paul, Newport News – Father Ernest Dugah, pastor of Sacred Heart, Covington; St. Joseph, Clifton Forge; and Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Hot Springs – Father Johnny Mintah Mensah, pastor of Church of Francis de Sales, Mathews, and Church of the Visitation, Topping – and Father Stephen Ofori-Acheampong, parochial vicar of St. Charles, Cape Charles, and St. Peter the Apostle, Onley.
Also concelebrating were Father Michael Boehling, vicar general of our diocese; Fr. Derick Dowuona Hammond, priest secretary for the Archdiocese of Accra; Father Tim Kuhneman, vicar for clergy; Father Matthew Kiehl, vicar for vocations; and Father Tochi Iwuji, director of the diocesan Office for Black Catholics and pastor of Holy Rosary, Richmond.
In his homily, Bishop Knestout spoke of the Sacred Heart as both a refuge for the faithful and a source of blessings. In particular, he gave thanks for the many priests who have come from Ghana to serve in Virginia.
“So often, here in this land, we have an abundant blessing when it comes to material goods. In the midst of that, though, there can be a spiritual poverty,” said Bishop Knestout. “On this feast day, as we celebrate this devotion to the Sacred Heart, we are reminded that the only place we can go for the fulfilment of our needs … is Christ’s sacrifice and the outpouring of his love and grace.”
The bishop continued: “We celebrate it in a unique way here today – the blessing we receive as the Church here in Richmond, of these priests who serve from east to west throughout our diocese.”