From Bishop Paul Bemile: Cardinal Dery Memorial Day


CARDINAL DERY MEMORIAL DAY
8TH MAY, 2009

A year ago, on March 6, 2009, our beloved pastor, mentor and spiritual leader, Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery, was called to eternal blessedness with the Lord. To mark the first anniversary of his death, the Bishop of Wa, Most Rev. Paul Bemile, and the entire Wa Diocesan Family, are organizing a Cardinal Dery Memorial Day. The Day shall first and foremost be a thanksgiving to God for the very fruitful life and work of Peter Cardinal Dery, and to continue to pray for his peaceful repose in the Lord.

The day shall also be used to initiate a yearly remembrance of the Cardinal, by the institution of the Cardinal Dery Memorial Lectures.

The Bishop is therefore inviting all and sundry, in Ghana, and beyond, all those who love the Cardinal, and all those who have been blessed by his warm and loving pastoral care, to be part of the Cardinal Dery Memorial Day celebrations.

The details of the Memorial Day Celebrations are as follows:

Day: Friday, 8th May, 2009: The 6th of March, the day on which the Cardinal died, is Ghana’s Independence Day, and Bishop Paul did not want the two big events to be mixed up. Hence Bishop Bemile has decided on the 8th of May for the Memorial Day, the 8th of May being the day the Cardinal was consecrated Bishop by Pope John XXIII, and which day was so dear to the Cardinal that he made it his birth day.

Morning: 10:00am: Eucharistic Celebration in Wa Cathedral to be presided over by Bishop Paul Bemile. To the Eucharistic Celebration are invited the family of the late Cardinal, friends and lovers of the Cardinal, and the general public. Bishop Bemile has also directed that all parishes and institutions within the Wa Diocese, should celebrate a Memorial Mass for the late Cardinal on the same day, as all will not be able to come to Wa for the diocesan celebration. A collection shall be taken at all these Masses to cover the expenses involved in planning the Memorial Day, and also to kick-start and support the organization of the proposed Cardinal Dery Memorial Day Lectures that will be instituted

2:30pm: There shall be a lecture in honour of the Cardinal. Speaker: Mr,Fosua Mensah Banahene - WADEAF

3:30pm: Open Forum on the Cardinal Dery Memorial Lectures. Sir Dr. Edward Gyader, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University for Development Studies, Tamale Campus, shall moderate this brain-storming session on institutionalizing the Cardinal Dery Memorial Lectures. The views expressed by participants will form the basis for instituting and also structuring the yearly lectures in honour of the late Cardinal. Funds will be solicited to support the organization of these lectures

Note: The Cardinal Memorial Day is being publicized in Ghana through letters, posters, adverts in the Catholic Standard, radio discussion in the Upper West, word of mouth, etc., to give it a truly national and also international character, and to invite the general public to participate. Pass on the Message!

The Bishop of Wa, and the organizers are therefore very pleased to invite you to participate in this programme to remember, and also honour, this great son of the Upper West, of Ghana, the Church and Africa. If you cannot physically be present, you can do so by prayer, and also by offering your views particularly on how you think the memorial lectures should be organized, as well as express your support by a cash donation to the Bishop of Wa. We thank you in anticipation of your presence and support.

Stay blessed,


Fr. Paul K. Bekye

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