The Youth Wing of the Catholic Women Association (CWA) of Goaso Diocese recently celebrated her fourth Anniversary with a series of activities at the St. Peter’s Parish at Kenyasi in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The three-day celebration themed “The Value of Marriage and Family: The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the context of the New Evangelization” brought together members from nine Parishes in the Diocese.
Most Rev. Peter Atuahene, Bishop of Goaso and Special Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony entreated the CWA youth to be focused and well grounded in the Catholic faith because the future of the Catholic Women Association (CWA) depends on them, advising them to brace themselves to take up the mantle of leadership in the near future.
He commended them for organising the Congress annually and urged them to ensure that their programmes and activities were tailored towards holistic development and formation of members.
Bishop Atuahene cautioned them to be aware of the evil of human trafficking, urging them to study hard, be gainfully employed, learn a trade and get well established in Ghana to avoid being victims of human trafficking.
He noted that School drop outs and the unemployed youth were more vulnerable & easily fell prey to traffickers, appealing to them to be wise, enrol in School and remain in School for a more secured future.
He advised them not to pay attention to anyone who promised them greener pastures and better jobs abroad because it was a form of slavery.
Bishop Atuahene charged them to be proactive in the campaign against human traficking by reporting any suspected move by some unscrupulous individuals to recruit people with empty promises of a better future abroad.
Rev. Fr. Sixtus Kyei Kusi the Assistant Priest at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Bechem who delivered a talk on Courtship: the foundation for a happy marriage, underscored the importance of courtship before marriage saying that many marriages were breaking up because there was no proper courtship before marriage.
He gave them guidelines on good courtship, signs of bad courtship, some dangerous behaviours that the individual needed to watch out in courting, some permissible limits and things to avoid during courtship as well as the importance of courtship.
“For a successful marriage the need for a convenient period of courtship should not be undervalued. It provides two people with the opportunity to test each other's feelings, ideas and orientations of life so that they may decide whether a life together will be possible and fruitful”. He said.
The OLA Girls Senior High School at Kenyasi entertained the guests with a welcome dance, sing songs and choreography while the Missionary Childhood Choir of the Church added colour to the celebration with a wonderful song rendition.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Mrs. Araba Chinbuah, the Headmistress of the St. Peter’s Basic School Kenyasi and the Vice President of the Church. She advised the ladies to take advantage of the formation programme to improve their lots by becoming firm in the faith and living good moral lives.
27 new members were initiated into the fold. Mrs. Theresa Afful, Diocesan President of the CWA who performed the initiation ceremony together with other Diocesan Executives
She charged the new members to keep the flag of the Association flying by living exemplary lives, urging them to hold on to the Word of God, study it and allow the Word to transform their lives.
There were fun games, sack race, filling the bottle, lime and spoon, music and dancing, and a float with brass band through the town of Kenyasi.
Bishop Atuahene with some members after the opening ceremony