The Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, Most Rev. Matthias Kobena Nketsiah, has paid a pastoral visit to the St. John the Baptist Parish, Saltpond in the Archdiocese of Cape Coast where he administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to sixty-nine faithful. The visit which coincided with the celebration of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, was attended by the entire faithful of the parish including the eight outstations under the parish. The Archbishop in his response to the welcome address by the President, Mr. William Kow Ampah, expressed his appreciation for the rousing welcome the parishioners gave him on his arrival. He urged them to show great faith especially in the Holy Eucharist in order to withstand the storm of life that would hit them. Mr. William Kow Ampah on his part, expressed the gratitude of the parishioners to the Archbishop for choosing to visit the parish at such an important Feast as Corpus Christi. He pledged on behalf of the faithful to uphold whatever would be experienced in the three day visit and be good and faithful Catholics at all times.
In his homily, the Archbishop bemoaned the flight of confirmed Catholics to other faiths and called on all confirmed faithful to deepen their faith in God and also in the Church in order to catechize the newly confirmed to hold firm to their faith. He also urged those confirmed on the day to come together and form evangelisation group to help in the evangelization drive of the Church. Touching on the days reading, he talked about how the Israelites ate manna and died but added that, Jesus had given his own Body and Blood that whosoever eats his body and drinks his blood will not die. He further urged them not be shy to make the sign of the Cross in public but be proud to profess the Catholic faith in all circumstances.
As part of the visit, Archbishop Nketsiah joined the parish priest, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Ernest Arthur in a healing service for the faithful and also met the Catechists and the Advisory Board Members. The three day event ended with a procession through some principal streets of Salt pond with the Blessed Sacrament.
