Article on Golden Jubilee

GOLDEN AND SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATION OF SISTERS MARY KPIEBAARE, ANNIE WALLACE, ANNE DONIR AND CATHARINA KO

On the 6^th of August 2021, the Province of Ghana-Liberia celebrated the Golden and Silver Jubilee of four sisters.  In attendance of the celebration were Rev. Sr. Sebastiana Bekyane, the Provincial Superior of Ghana-Liberia Province, and Most Rev. Richard Kuuia Baawobr Bishop of Wa diocese, many priests and religious from different congregations, families of the Jubilarians and the lay faithful. Sr. Mary Kpiebaare who has been the novice mistress for many years was the Golden Jubilarian and sisters Annie Wallace, Anne Donir and Catharina Ko were the Silver Jubilarians.

The preparation of this celebration began some months before the real day.  The Jubilarian met and planned their liturgy and all that they wanted said during the celebration of the Eucharist.  Sr. Annie Wallace could not join for the celebration due the almighty corona virus that has come to dwell among us.  Sr. Annie is in St. Martin’s community in Liberia thus to travel to the Ghana side of the Province for the celebration was an ordeal for her.  So she decided to join in spirit.

Bishop Richard presided over the celebration of the Eucharist and in his homely said that Golden or Silver Jubilee is always an occasion of thanksgiving and celebration which is found in the Bible. For instance PS. 107:21-22, Phil. 4:6-7, Ps. 35:18, 9:1 etc. In this context, jubilee celebration is very significant especially for Priests and Religious.  The bishop said it is our duty as a church, as family members or fellow priests and religious to celebrate with, and for them and pray to the Lord to continually bless and protect them.

The readings for the day were taken for the celebration. The first reading from the book of Joshua 24: 14-29 and the Gospel from Mt. 19: 13-15.  In the first reading, the Israelites’ leader, Joshua encouraged his people to serve the Lord and put away the gods which their fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt. Also, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said the children should not be hindered from coming to Him because the kingdom belongs to them. Jesus welcomed the children not to destroy them but to bless them.

Based on the above quotes, Bishop Richard, at a point in his homily asked Sr. Mary the Golden Jubilarian, to explain to the congregation what they as Jubilarians want to do.  Sr. Mary on behalf of the other sisters expressed her gratitude to God for what He has done in their lives and continues to do. She further said that they want to continue to serve God for the rest of their lives like Joshua and the people of Israel.  Just as Joshua urged the people of Israel to stop worshipping idols and turn to the living God, and they said “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”   The Israelites left the idols and turned to serve God. Like the Israelites, they the Jubilarians want to turn away from the many idols to serve the living God.  The Jubilarians again expressed their desire to have that child-like attitude of the children mentioned in the Gospel reading, in serving God and His people. Bishop encouraged each of us to also have that child-like trust in God in whatever we do.

The celebrant said, for us religious we often serve idols without knowing and if we have the tendency of doing our own will but not the will of God is tantamount to serving idols.  If we don’t live our evangelical counsels well, we are serving idols. In the light of this, let each of us question ourselves how we are living the vows.  If I am not faithful to the vow of obedience, chastity and poverty, it means I am serving idols.  The Jubilarians promised to leave the idols aside and continue to give their lives totally to God in serving Him and His people in his vine yard.  Bishop Richard acknowledged the fact that the FMM is an International Congregation whose sisters spend many hours before the Blessed Sacrament praying for the world and its needs.  He admonished the people in the church to join the FMMs to pray that we will all leave the idols aside and serve God in a worthy manner.

The Bishop said that the world in which we find ourselves is full of anti-social vices such as lesbianism, homosexuality, abuse of power, killing, kidnapping etc. that these are idols that we need to cast out and continue to serve God.

Before the celebrant ended his homily, he called the Jubilarians and three of our young sisters who renewed their vows to introduce themselves.  The diversity of our life was displayed there as sisters introduced themselves from Ghana, Liberia, Korea and Madagascar.  As a result of the diversity, the Bishop said God calls us from different places in the world to stay together and to serve Him in our diversity.

By Yitiereh Immaculate fmm