National Prayer and Thanksgiving planning c’ttee solicits support of Catholic bishops, Christian Council
The National Prayer and Thanksgiving Day planning committee has solicited the support of the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Christian Council of Ghana in the planning and coordination of the event.
The committee, led by its Chairman, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, solicited the support of the leadership of the two religious bodies during a meeting with them at Osu in Accra on Thursday.
The meeting with the leadership of the two religious bodies formed part of a series of consultative engagements with key religious stakeholders ahead of the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Day.
Speaking at the engagement session, Mr Ankrah said that the planning committee of the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Day recognised the key contributions that the two religious bodies had made in the promotion of peace and security as well as the development of the country.
“As a committee, we are here today to introduce ourselves to you, solicit your blessings, counsel, and support. We recognise that the Christian Council and specifically Catholic faith has played a critical role in the development of this country, and we cannot do such a programme without the input, support, blessing, and involvement of our church leaders,” Mr Ankrah said.
According to Mr Ankrah, the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Day was a day to reflect on how far God had brought the country since it attained independence in 1957 and became a Republic on July 1, 1960.
In addition, he noted that during the observation of the day, prayers and thanksgiving would be said to God for his continued blessings and protection of the country.
He, therefore, urged leadership of the two religious bodies to mobilise and encourage their members to actively participate in the activities that would be held on that day across the country.
Mr Ankrah said that President John Dramani Mahama had urged the planning committee to extend an invitation to one of the leaders of the Catholic Church to be the guest preacher at the National Prayer and Thanksgiving Day.
For their part, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Reverend Matthew Gyamfi, and the Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Right Rev Dr Lt/Col (Rtd) Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko both pledged their support to the committee in the planning and coordination of the event.
The two leaderships promised to encourage their members to fully participate in the prayers and thanksgiving on the day.
The National Prayer and Thanksgiving Day, which was declared by President Mahama earlier this year as an annual event, will be held on July 1, 2025.
While the Christian prayers will take place at the Forecourt of the State House from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., the Muslim prayers will take place at the National Mosque from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the same day.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
