Planned Bookfair in Ghana’s Accra Archdiocese to Create Missionary Awareness

Accra, 23 November, 2019 / 1:56 PM

In an effort to intensify the evangelization mission of the Church after last month’s celebration of  Extraordinary Missionary Month (EMMOCT2019), which Pope Francis announced, the newly-created Mission Office of Ghana’s Accra Archdiocese has organized a bookfair aimed at creating missionary awareness.

“The book fair is intended to create an environment where people can come together and have a healthy dialogue among themselves,” the director of the newly-created Accra Archdiocese Mission Office Fr. John Patrick Tindana told ACI Africa correspondent in an interview Thursday, November 21, 2019.

According to the Ghanaian cleric, the bookfair, expected to be open to all will have books “for adults, teens, children, professionals and it shall take place from parish to parish starting from December 8, 2019, with the books donated by priests, religious and lay faithful being sold at reduced prices in order to raise funds to support the newly created Mission Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra.”

He added, “The manifest point of attraction would be the books, but latently the organizers would create opportunities for dialogue centered on mission; at the end of the day, it is hoped that missionary awareness would increase, especially among Catholics.”

Explaining about his new office initiated to spearhead the missionary activities of the local Church, Fr. Tindana highlighted some of the activities to be undertaken including “printing educational materials, moving into various public places to share the good news, disseminating church documents on mission and reminding people to join the Pope in prayer through his monthly intentions.”

In a note creating the Mission Office made available to ACI Africa, the Spiritan Archbishop of Accra, John Bonaventure Kwofie reminded the faithful of  Pope Francis words, “John Paul II asked us to recognize that there must be no lessening of the impetus to preach the Gospel to those who are far from Christ because this is the first task of the Church.”   

Meanwhile, in a different undertaking, the Archbishop of Accra has put together an ecumenical event of singing and reflection dubbed: “Conversation in the Cathedral,” slated to take place on December 12.

In an invitation letter to priests, religious and lay faithful in his Archdiocese of Accra, the Ghanaian Prelate stated, “This maiden event is aimed to bring together secular and religious leaders and indeed, all people of goodwill to praise and reflect in a serene and friendly atmosphere on the event of Christmas and how it contributes to our personal spiritual growth and to building a more humane society in our beloved country.”

“We shall also use the occasion to thank God for the year 2019 and implore His abundant blessings on us for the year 2020,” the Archbishop concluded.