Gyansa Tabiri web page

REFLECTION ON THE GOOD SHEPHERD:
Good verses Bad Shepherd.
Good Shepherd presupposes bad Shepherd.
Good Shepherd presupposes Good Sheep.
And Good Sheep presupposes bad Sheep.
"A dirty Shepherd and a clean sheep?" Laughable! The snow white ones will flee from him for fear of being contaminated.
A clean Shepherd and dirty sheep? The Shepherd must clean/wash the sheep.
The Good Shepherd cares for his flock, dresses and binds their wounds and feeds them. They hear his voice and they follow him.
The bad and careless Shepherd feeds on his flock. He sells the flock for gainful profit. He does not feed them. Rather the flock go on their own way to seek greener pastures and the Shepherd follows them.
The bad Shepherd does not go in search of the lost sheep. Rather he accuses and blames the lost sheep for wandering and going astray. The Shepherd complains of disobedience and non-conformity.
The bad Shepherd uses his scepter/crosier to hit the sheep to keep them in check.
The Good Shepherd on the other hand goes in search of the lost sheep and when he finds it, he rejoices and puts it on his shoulders and brings it home.
The Good Shepherd uses his scepter/crosier to guide his sheep.
In the wisdom of the Catholic Church, every visiting Bishop, is to ask for permission from the local Bishop before he can use a crosier. Then the local Bishop will teach the visiting Bishop how to use the crosier in his diocese. E.g. "my flock are obedient and gentle. So l use the crosier to guide them". Otherwise, the visiting Bishop can scatter the sheep. Or "my flock are disobedient, so l use the crosier to hit them to keep them in check".
A proud and arrogant Bishop who does not want to humble himself and ask for permission to use a crosier outside his diocese can face embarrassment from the local Bishop for refusing to fulfill this pastoral requirement.
A disciplined and principled Bishop would have to checkmate such a pompous antagonist and report him to the appropriate authorities for the necessary sanctions to be applied.
Now, let us look at the lifestyle of the shepherd:
The shepherd does not live in an air conditioned house.
He does not drive in air conditioned car but he follows the flock afoot.
He does not live in air conditioned office but he stays with his flock. In other words, the shepherd lives a simple lifestyle.
Pope Francis has said it all:
"the Shepherd must smell like sheep".
The sheep is a symbol of humility and therefore any Shepherd who is proud and arrogant has no business being a Shepherd and lord it over his flock.
Comrades, the key of the Good Shepherd is humility, love and service and not dominion and profiteering.

Fr. Gyansa Tabiri Simon.
Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, Ghana.
Mobile: 00233 203 790 905.
Email: [email protected]

"Lumen Gentium vis-a-vis Christian Leadership".
"Lumen Gentium" means "the Church is the Light of the world". In oIther words the Church is a torch bearer showi,ng and giving light to the world.
We must bear in mind that the social teachings of the Church based on the Word of God have shaped various Constitutions globally. It is therefore important to note that Church laws. Policies, Guidelines and utterances from Church Leaders and Officials should be made in the best interest of the Church, free from prejudices and biases which tend to be provocative, discriminatory and violate human rights and freedoms.
Do you do any of the following?:
1. Refuse to bury the dead? The corporal works of mercy urges us to bury the dead without giving excuses. Confer Canons 1183 & 1184. The attitude of Christ should be our attitude.
2. Do you have burials and funerals on weekdays? Traditionally, Saturday is the day set aside for burials and funerals. Take note that if one chooses to do it on other days, it is a sabotage to Government, our Culture and productivity. Bear in mind that when people are bereaved, it is the time to mourn with them, express sympathy and condolences to the bereaved family and not to do things to provoke, annoy, or discriminate against them. The dead cannot do things for themselves so if the living make any mistakes, not contrary to Church laws, no body should punish the dead by refusing them what they are due. Funerals are good occasions for evangelization if well planned and celebrated.
3. The Church is clear about who should be buried and those who should be denied Church burials and funerals. We must set sentiments of biases aside and always do the needful.
4. If you perform funerals on weekdays, are you calling for a ban on burials and funerals on weekdays because you are sabotaging productivity and traditional protocols?
If someone doesn't obey the ecclesiastical laws as expressed in the Word of God, the Magisterium, and the Code of Canon Law, why should one make laws which are not in the best interest of the Church and force it down the throat of others?
5. Do you fix programs like seminars and workshops on public holidays and prevent your members from enjoying their holidays? What good reason does one have to deny people from enjoying public holidays? Please, know that if we do that it is against human rights. People have the right to enjoy their holidays. It is on record that the Church is a Champion of Human Rights. And we should not do things which will bring the name of the Church into disrepute.
6. What good examples are we showing to mean that the Church is the Light of the World? And that we are leading and showing the way?
By Gyansa Tabiri Simon.
Ghana.

MISSION STATEMENT FOR GYANSA TABIRI WEB PAGE:
Aim:
As an extension and part of the evangelizing mission of the Church, Gyansa Tabiri Web page exists to bring to fulfillment the functions of the media, namely to inform, educate and entertain its audience (readers and viewers) to become good Christians, responsible, dedicated and patriotic citizens who motivated by the Gospel values of the Kingdom of God will give out their best in their field of work by providing solutions to political, social, economic and religious challenges.

Mission:
To educate the public to become media literate so that based on professionalism when they are before the media they can make meaningful choices for themselves in matters relating to religion, politics, economy, family and work, thereby acquiring the technical and managerial abilities and skills to unmask ideology and resist manipulations from the media. It is part of our mission to use the media as tools for evangelization.

Vision:
To provide high quality and holistic Christian education, information and entertainment by forming both hearts and minds of the public to become ethically and morally upright and to work diligently in the modern competitive job market.

Goal:
By the year 2030, Gyansa Tabiri Web page hopes to have a readership of at least ten thousand (10,000) people.

Objectives:
Primary Objective:
To educate the public to acquire the knowledge and gain employable skills so as to reduce unemployment and build a crime free society.

Secondary Objective:
The nature of the media education offered by Gyansa Tabiri Web page to the public is a reminder of the good which prepares them to become good Christians/Muslems and responsible citizens.

Measurable Objectives:
The objective of Gyansa Tabiri Web page is to inculcate in the public the spirit of personal initiative and creativity. By this, prospective entrepreneurs can set up their own businesses and employ others to work with them, thereby becoming entrepreneurs in their own right instead of waiting for government or another entrepreneur to give them “white colour jobs”.
Since Gyansa Tabiri Web page places high premium on excellence in its programmes, the public will seek to develop the spirit of enthusiasm, patriotism, hard work, dedication and commitment in their homes, families, Churches, Mosques, work places, society and the nation at large.

CORE VALUES:
OBJECTIVITY, ACCURACY, INTEGRITY, PUNCTUALITY, CONFIDENTIALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

MOTO:
SERVICE TO NEIGHBOUR IS SERVICE TO GOD.

LOGO:

PARADIGM FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
PARAMETERS WHICH MILITATE AGAINST DEVELOPMENT:
1. Corruption.
2. Lack of goodwill to fight corruption.
3. Tribalism.
4. Nepotism.
5. Imposing high taxes on businesses.
6. Lack of political will to industrialize.
7. Unjustified political witch hunting.
8. Abandonment of projects started by previous governments.
9. Matters which cause huge financial loss to the state.
10. State capture without prosecution.
11. Willful delay of payment of contracts.
12. Empty campaign promises.
13. Propaganda.

FACTORS WHICH FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT:
1. Education: Establishment of more Vocational and Technical schools to provide immediate job opportunities for the youth.
NB: Every Education Reform should take into account the establishment of Vocational and Technical schools.
2. Provision of quality health care.
3. Access to Electricity.
4. Access to potable water.
5. Good Road infrastructure.
6. Good Transportation system (especially train services – rail network) and air carriers.
7. Good Banking services.
8. Commerce by building decent marketing centers of safety standards.
9. Low/reasonable tax rates to maximize high income.
10. Agriculture/Food security.
11. Motivation and support for the private sector.
12. Cutting down on Government expenditure.
13. Promotion of media/press freedom with responsibility.
14. Tightening of security to ensure peace and crime free society.
15. Religious freedom with responsibility.
16. Allowing space for Traditional Leaders.
17. Protection of the environment by cramping down on galamsey.
18. Good conditions of service for workers to minimize industrial action.
19. Resisting retrenchment and other unfavorable conditions for loan agreements.
20. Promotion of ICT/Technology for development.
21. Reliance on selfless professionals as team players to do Government business.
22. Instilling discipline in the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislature so as to build and inspire hope, trust and confidence in the citizenry etc.

By Comrade Gyansa Tabiri Kwadwo.
Catholic Diocese of Sunyani.
Ghana.
00233-203790905.
E-mail: [email protected]

Core Values for Gyansa Tabiri Web Page:
OBJECTIVITY, ACCURACY, INTEGRITY, PUNCTUALITY, CONFIDENTIALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

Thanks so much Fr. Joe for reposting. Through his initiative, creativity, positive thinking and hard work, we are what we are today. May his soul rest in peace.
Amen.

Simon Gyansa Tabiri
November 16, 2019
"IN MEMORIAM”: THE SHEPHERD OF OUR TIME.

NATIONAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL HERO PASSES ON AFTER NATIONAL ASSIGNMENT:
On the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the demise of our beloved Shepherd, Most Rev. James Kwadwo Owusu, we recommit his soul into the hands of God and we ask Him to grant His loyal servant eternal rest in His Kingdom. On December 28, 2001, the late Bishop met his untimely demise through car accident when returning from a national assignment from Accra, Ghana. Upon hearing the news of his demise, we were saddened, speechless and confused amidst sobbing and weeping. Then condolence messages started pouring in.
The news about his sudden departure was and is a big blow to the Catholic diocese of Sunyani, the Church in Ghana and the Nation as a whole, creating a big vacuum, whose place would be difficult to fill.

FAMILY BACKGROUND:
The late Bishop came from the royal family of Japekrom. He was born to Nana Kwasi Ampabeng Kyeremeh, the Chief of Japekrom, and Obaapanin Elizabeth Adwoa Asuamah of Jejemireja. As a young man he learnt much about leadership, service, love, justice and fair play, tolerance and administration from his father and from the palace. He grew with these virtues and values as he went to school to prepare himself for the priesthood.

SUFFERING OF AN INNOCENT PRIEST:
As a young priest, he became an epitome of the suffering of the innocent and a victim of prejudice in the priestly ministry.

A LOVING CHAPLAIN SOLDIER:
Later on, Fr. Owusu, as he was affectionately called, became a loving Chaplain in the Ghana Armed Forces and rose to the rank of a Major.

FIRST CATHOLIC MILITARY CHAPLAIN IN GHANA MADE BISHOP:
While in the Ghana Armed Forces as a Chaplain, Major Owusu's fame caught the attention of the then Pope, now Saint Paul VI and in 1973, the Holy Father appointed him as the First Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani.

CHURCH CONSPIRATORS OPPOSED BISHOP ELECT:
His appointment and announcement as a Bishop, was met with resistance, amidst formidable opposition and hostilities, leading to the desecration of Christ the King Cathedral Church in Sunyani, all as signs of protest. All the delinquent conspirators except one, who later on, did not admit any wrong doing, also could not escape Divine retribution, the consequences of their action which we are ashamed to mention, because they are offensive to pious ears. As we celebrate the twenty third (23rd) anniversary of his demise, all the conspirators except one, are dead.

BISHOP OWUSU OVERCAME EVIL WITH GOOD:
The Bishop Elect, Major Owusu, understood the Gospel value of “love of enemies” and he neutralized all opposing forces and hostilities through forgiveness, rather than using his military powers. The delinquent conspirators neither faced arrests nor prosecution. In other words, the Major knew how to overcome evil with good.

MSGR. SETH OSEI AGYEMANG, A STRONG PILLAR FOR BISHOP OWUSU:
His Vicar General, Monsignor Dr. Seth Osei Agyemang, a loving, reliable, knowledgeable and hardworking priest, reminds us of Bishop Owusu’s Vision for the Catholic diocese of Sunyani: “To see the Priests, Religious and the Lay faithful living as one family with common purpose in the field of evangelization.” Msgr. Osei further explains that "In this family the challenges of one should be the concern of all". Adding that "the Bishop believed that, each family member ought to be wholeheartedly committed to each other’s role and success. Bishop Owusu thought of a church where the faithful would live their faith in their profession and become good citizens as well, a Church that will be concerned to care for the needs of the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized, the sick, women, children, the youth, the down trodden etc". And his motto was “In Service for love of God”.

LITANY OF NICKNAMES:
Bishop James Kwadwo Owusu was nicknamed and described variously by his contemporaries as the Good Shepherd, the Silent Mover, Owusu Boafoɔ, Yɛ adeɛ yie Owusu, the Father of the Brong Ahafo Region, the Founder of the Brong Ahafo Catholic Cooperative Society for Development (BACCSOD) and the Father of Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana.

DESCRIPTION OF A HERO/ROLE MODEL:
He was known to be gentle, simple, quiet, calm, soft-spoken, loving, compassionate, forgiving, approachable and humble. We also remember him for being serviceable, selfless, hardworking, caring, inspiring, grateful, supportive, rewarding, tolerant, diplomatic, fair and firm. A good leader and a role model who was disciplined and principled. He was a good arbiter, a peace maker and a man with sacrificial spirit. Bishop Owusu was full of wisdom, maturity, modesty, initiative, creativity, innovation and visionary. A Hero in the Ghana Armed Forces. He was majestic in appearance and always looked cheerful in his smiles. He was faithful to God’s Word, Tradition, the Magisterium, Canon Law, and the teachings of Vatican Council II. He was always in good standing with Rome.

SPECIAL INTERESTS OF BISHOP OWUSU:
a. WELFARE OF THE GIRL-CHILD:
He had special love for young people and was a sincere advocate to “Girl Child Education” and women empowerment. This is evidenced by the numerous Senior High Girls Schools he established and expanded in the Catholic Dioceses of Sunyani, Gaoso and Techiman. He discouraged frugal and expensive funeral celebrations that became occasions of public ostentation. Instead, he insisted that such monies be channeled through the education of children in the bereaved families.
At the Sacred Heart parish, Penkwase, Sunyani and at Ss. Peter and Paul parish, Kwasibuokrom, in 1998 during the Silver Jubilee of his episcopate, in his homilies, he pleaded and repeated respectively: "if l die, all the monies you would use to organize a big funeral celebration for me, please, give the monies to me now to build schools for your children". This wise saying motivated his flock to love him more.
The Bishop believed that a fitting and successful funeral celebration is not extravagant one, but one that is organized with modesty.

b. PROMOTION OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT:
Our Good Shepherd had special passion and compassion for women. He had positive mind and attitude towards women. Long before the Beijing conference in 1995, the Bishop was committed to women empowerment and he appointed women's coordinator to coordinate the programs and activities of the women's groups in the diocese. He created an office for her, resourced her with means of transport and provided the necessary logistics to facilitate her work. During his episcopate, the women's groups were encouraged to have income generating ventures to alleviate them from poverty so as to become self-reliant and independent of men. One of such income generating ventures is the Christian Mothers Gari Factory at Akrofrom, now in Techiman diocese.

c. BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE:
Bishop Owusu was so much concerned about the widespread unemployment of the youth that he built vocational and technical training schools/centers that would provide the graduates immediate job opportunities. He appointed youth chaplains who saw to their spiritual needs and welfare. He often referred to them as the future of the church and he built their capacity by providing scholarships for their training as well as organizing series of seminars and workshops for their formation. His love for young people was surpassing and this made him set up a youth center for their programs and activities at Sunyani.

ENDOWED WITH WISDOM AND GOOD ADMINISTRATIVE ABILITIES:
Bishop Owusu was endowed with wisdom and good administrative abilities and his administration was always encapsulated with justice. Within the Priests Senate, his Curia, Consulters and all central committees, he always relied on loyal, qualified professionals, who were good team players.

GOOD DEVELOPMENT PARTNER:
The Religious loved to work with him. The Priests and the Faithful recognized him as the good shepherd. Traditional Authorities and Government Officials saw him as a real and dependable partner in development. It is not surprising therefore, that wherever he put up in appearance, he pulled crowd. Nananom, Government Officials and non-Catholic Clergy were always present whenever the Church went on outing.

VIRTUOUS SHEPHERD:
We are constantly reminded of his famous axiom: “in matters of discipline, no compromise”. Our beloved Shepherd was a role-model par-excellence, a man of prayer and a strong devotee to the Blessed Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Bishop James Owusu was a promoter of the Gospel values of the Kingdom of Heaven and he believed in the maxim “Less talk, more action!” We agree with the late Mr. Joseph Yawson, the former Regional Manager for Catholic Education Unit, Sunyani, who briefly and beautifully described the late Bishop as “a man of few words, but with many good deeds”. As Saint John Paul II would say of his predecessor Saint Paul VI, we can say about Bishop James Owusu: “we used to admire him from a distance” (RH).
He was faithful to the evangelical counsels of Apostolic Obedience, Evangelical Poverty and Consecrated Chastity.

FORMATION OF PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS AND LAITY:
Again, Mr. Joseph Yawson echoes one of Bishop Owusu’s cardinal sayings: “the Church cannot be said to have been fully established until the vocation has been taken over by her sons and daughters.” This belief motivated him to establish St. James Seminary to train young men for the priesthood. Thanks to the late Osagyefo Nana Dr. Agyemang Badu, the then Paramount Chief of Dormaa Traditional area, who helped the late Bishop to realize his dream by providing large stretch of land at Abesim to Bishop James Owusu for the establishment of Saint James Seminary.
Some of the pioneer hardworking Teachers who assisted the Bishop for Saint James Seminary to take off in January 1978 are the late Msgr. Robert Mensah Abrampa (Rector), Fr. John McAvoy, Cssp (Vice Rector), Fr. Paul Agyei (Bursar), the late Mr. Charles Oko Agyemang etc. Subsequent Rectors are: Fathers Tom Potts, Paul Agyei, Joseph Asuah, Matthew Gyamfi and then Alexander Ansu Ebo.
Bishop Owusu also prepared the grounds to start the training of diocesan sisters, now known as “Sisters of the Incarnate Word”, which has seen the light of the day through the instrumentality of his successor, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi.
His love for his flock was influenced by his vision which led to the formation and the training of the lay faithful and the clergy, with many having degrees in various disciplines and with him having none. Like John the Baptist, he was silently saying “You all must increase while I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).
The pastoral and social center at Sunyani was established to build the capacity of priests, Religious and the laity through formation and pastoral training.

MOTIVATION OF CATECHISTS:
The late Bishop resourced and motivated the Catechists in the diocese by providing the Full-time Catechists with motor bikes to facilitate pastoral activities. Bishop James Owusu also had a diocesan policy which obliged the parishes that had Full-time Catechists to build a three-bed room house for them as part of the incentives for their retirement package.
He also set up Marriage and Family Life Office and taught people how to tap family values and help the faithful to live good Christian life. This pastoral capacity building is a good human resource legacy for the Church. Like Mark Anthony would say about his loving and loyal friend Julius Caesar, we also add our voices “when comes such another?”.

THE SPIRITUALITY OF HIS FLOCK:
The spirituality of his flock was very dear to his heart. Consequently, Bishop Owusu built spiritual centers at various places for the benefit of his flock. namely, Saint Joseph Retreat Center at Sunyani, and Our Lady of Calvary Grotto at Asueyi near Techiman, now in Techiman diocese. Bishop Owusu organized and facilitated pilgrimage trips to Rome and Yaa Mousoukro, "Basilique Notre Dame de la Paix" in La Cote d'Ivoire. The Feasts of "Corpus Christi", Christ the King and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary were always celebrated amidst large crowd. He also created new and more viable parishes to make the priests more assessible to the faithful.
At least once a year, he would visit every parish, quasi-parish, rectorate and the institutions. During such pastoral visits, he slept in every parish, quasi-parish, rectorate and whenever possible in the institutions. Bishop Owusu was so much concerned about his flock that he knew every town and village in his diocese. He strengthened the faith of his flock through the sacraments of confirmation and marriage, coupled with his prayers and blessings.
Bishop Owusu honoured the three persons in the Holy Family, namely Saint Mary, Jesus and Saint Joseph.
1. Saint Mary: Through Saint Mary's Hospital, Drobo, Saint Mary's Preparatory and Junior High School, Sunyani, Notre Dame Girls Senior High School, Fiapre, Our Lady of Providence Girls Senior High School, Kwasibuokrom, Our Lady of Fatima Girls Vocational Senior High School, Wenchi, Our Lady of Mount Camel Girls Senior High School, Techiman, and Our Lady of Calvary Grotto, Asueyi near Techiman.
2. Jesus: Through the colossal, magnificent and sacrosanct Christ the King Cathedral Church, Sunyani.
3. Saint Joseph: Through Saint Joseph Retreat Center, Sunyani.

SOME TESTIMONIES FROM CO-WORKERS:
Mr. Joseph Yeboah Benneh, who doubles as a former Headmaster of Dormaa Senior High School and also as former Development Coordinator of the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani has a touching tribute to Bishop James Owusu and recognizes that the Bishop’s success was immediate and general, adding that his concern for the needy and the vulnerable led to the establishment of the numerous projects in the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, namely: the establishment and construction of Churches, spiritual and pastoral formation centers, diocesan pharmacy, water project, car mechanic training center, hospitals and clinics, schools and colleges, guest houses, farms etc. Remarkable of these projects is the colossal magnificent edifice, Christ the King Cathedral Church at Sunyani which he dedicated to the glory of God in November 1990. Furthermore, Fr. Joseph Asuah, the former Rector of Saint James Seminary and Senior High School, and a retired Lecturer at KNUST and Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre, also describes this holy and handsome gentleman as "The Silent Mover". Indeed, this description which also serves as the title of his book is timely, accurate and suitable.

WATER PROJECT:
During pastoral visits to his flock, Bishop Owusu used to see women and children travel long distances in search of water, especially during the dry season. Their plight was his concern. Therefore, he thought of a solution; to establish the "Village Water Project" at Akrobi, Wenchi. This project sought to provide portable water for the needy communities and the hard to reach areas.
The water project was to improve the health of the beneficial communities since these communities got rid off water borne diseases such as Guinea worm, bilharzia etc.
With gratitude, we acknowledge that so many villages and towns in the then Brong Ahafo Region, now comprising of the Catholic dioceses of Sunyani, Gaoso and Techiman, have benefited from his good initiative.
Millions of Ghanaians today can bear witness to his good works and can acclaim: "l was thirsty. And you gave me water to drink" (Mat. 25).

HIS CONTRIBUTION TO ROAD SAFETY IN GHANA:
In view of the carnage on our roads which is a perennial challenge in Ghana, Bishop Owusu thought of doing something to minimize the challenge.
The Bishop established the "Car Mechanic Training Center" at Abesim near Sunyani, initially manned by German Technicians who trained young men and women in car mechanics.
The aim of the Bishop was to train the students to become professional car mechanics so that through their services we would have cars that are road worthy. In the estimation of the Bishop, this would go a long way to reduce road accidents in Ghana.
Since its establishment in the 1980s, the center has trained numerous young people as professional car mechanics who have set up their own workshops in various towns and villages in Ghana.
We regret to acknowledge that the Bishop died of car accident, the very thing he sought to overcome. Nonetheless, we continue to benefit from the "Car Mechanic Training Center" as it contributes to road safety in the country through vehicle maintenance.

LOVE AND CONCERN FOR THE SICK:
Mr. William Sabi, who doubles as the former Administrator of Saint Mary’s hospital, Drobo and also later as Administrator at the Holy Family hospital, Berekum, a former Lecturer at the Catholic University College at Fiapre, and as former MP for Dormaa East Constituency testifies that Bishop James Owusu was a courageous Shepherd who was prepared to tread at places where no one has set foot before. Mr. Sabi says such was the case of the District/Mutual Health Insurance Scheme which the Bishop introduced in Sunyani diocese with humble beginning as a pilot project in Nkoransa, and later on at Drobo and Berekum. Mr. Sabi is appreciative of the fact that this initiative subsequently has been taken over and adopted by Government for the benefit of all Ghanaians; metamorphosing from District to become the National Health Insurance Scheme.

SPECIAL LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR FARMERS:
The “Silent Mover” believed that just as Jesus provides for our spiritual nourishment through prayer, the Word of God and the Eucharist, so also farmers provide for our physical nourishment through their labor. Therefore, the Bishop was convinced that the combination of the spiritual and physical nourishments can serve as a catalyst for Spiritual/Christian growth. Commenting on the good qualities of this loving Shepherd, Mr. Joseph Yeboah Benneh observed: ‘to help combat hunger, Bishop Owusu showed special love to farmers by appointing and training agricultural officers to support their vocation. He showed his solidarity with farmers by making diocesan farms at various places, e.g. Subinso, Safwi, Nsoatre etc’.

CONCERN FOR THE EUCHARIST:
To ease the traffic of Communicants during Mass and to ensure the regular reception of the Eucharist, Bishop Owusu trained some eminent Lay Catholics as Eucharistic Ministers to assist the Priests in the distribution of the Eucharist and also assist them to send the Eucharist as Viaticum to the Sick.
Bishop Owusu made sure that the faithful are not denied of catechetical instructions and once their faith had taken firm root, his vision to have as many of the faithful having access to the Eucharist would be realized as he promoted and personally presided over mass weddings at less cost.

CONCERN FOR THE FINANCES OF CATHOLICS AND BEYOMD:
He put the faithful on sound financial footing through the establishment of the “Brong Ahafo Catholic Co-operative Society for Development (BACCSOD)”, i.e. a Credit Union (Savings and Loans unit), with different branches in the Catholic dioceses of Sunyani, Gaoso and Techiman.

SUNYANI GIVES BIRTH TO GAOSO AND TECHIMAN DIOCESES:
For effective pastoral administration, Bishop Owusu facilitated the creation of Gaoso diocese in 1998 and furthermore, prepared the grounds for the creation of Techiman diocese.

MEMORABLE SOUVENIRS:
Schools, Churches, Maternity Homes, buildings etc. have been named after him. Of particular importance is the Bishop Owusu Girls Complex School at Mpataapo near Berekum which serves as a memorial to his deep commitment to the girl child education.
Furthermore, the Catholic diocese of Sunyani has established in his honor an educational scholarship fund called “Bishop Owusu Foundation”, for the benefit of needy and brilliant pupils and students.

LONG-TERM PLANNING FOR POSTERITY:
What makes Bishop Owusu’s motto and vision more important, reliable and tenable are the long-term goals he set for the Catholic diocese of Sunyani. His motto, vision, goals, objectives, priorities and strategies were neither meant for his comfort nor the here and now, rather, he looked into the future and planned for the next 50 to 100 years, always thinking about the welfare of posterity.

A CHAMPION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, FIAPRE:
Talking about the establishment of the Catholic University at Fiapre in the Catholic diocese of Sunyani, Ghana, the late Msgr. George Kwame Kumi, who doubled as the Financial Administrator and later as the Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, as well as a Lecturer at the Catholic University at Fiapre, said "this initiative is based on the Catholic Bishops’ love for the Church and their commitment and contribution to quality and holistic Christian education in Ghana at the highest level". Msgr. Kumi added that "Bishop Owusu’s good relationship with Nananom and Government Officials facilitated the acquisition of lands and properties for the establishment of the University", adding that "the good will of Bishop Owusu to offer the Pastoral and Social Center of the Catholic diocese of Sunyani for the commencement of the University was a good move".

RECOGNITION FROM HIS COLLEAGUE BISHOPS ABOUT HEALTH:
Recognizing his filial and compassionate love for the sick, his Colleague Catholic Bishops made him the Episcopal Chairman for Health for several years with the Catholic diocese of Sunyani having the greatest number of health facilities in Ghana.

BISHOP OWUSU, SHEPHERD OF AN ENVIABLE DIOCESE:
The once glorious and flourishing Catholic diocese of Sunyani was in the lime light in terms of human resource: clergy formation, laity formation, youth ministry, catechetics, women ministry, communication, liturgy and music, respect for donors' intention, infrastructure, education, health, marriage and family life etc.
Preaching the homily and commenting on the achievements of Bishop James Kwadwo Owusu during the twin Silver jubilee of the Bishop and the diocese in 1998, the Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi, His Grace Peter Sarpong confessed amidst joke and laughter: "I am jealous of the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani. But this is a holy jealousy".

EVALUATION OF PASTORAL MINISTRIES AND FIRST SYNOD:
The evaluation of the pastoral ministries in the diocese in 1999 which led to the convocation of the First Synod of the diocese in the year 2,000, revealed that the 28 years of his episcopate was marked and characterized by good leadership, justice and peace, spiritual growth, mass infrastructure, human resource capacity building, defense of the Catholic Faith, promotion of Catholic identity and the Social Teachings of the Church in Catholic institutions, as well as championing of Ecumenical relations, usage of the mass media and music as tools for evangelization, vibrant youth and women ministries and ardent devotion to the girl-child education etc. Indeed, Bishop Owusu has provided the road map for the building of revitalized Churches in the Catholic diocese of Sunyani and beyond.

"BRAVO", "AYIKOO", CONGRATULATIONS TO BISHOP OWUSU:
We find the conclusion of the Johannine Gospel appealing, touching, appropriate and gratifying while recognizing that there are many accomplishments of the late Bishop James Kwadwo Owusu and that if we are to enumerate them, “no book would be able to contain them all” (Jn. 21: 25).

PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA:
As we celebrate the 23rd anniversary of his demise, many people are of the view that his contribution to the Church, society and national development have been very beneficial and tremendous and that it is good, necessary and perhaps mandatory for the nation also to honor him posthumously.

GHANA MOURNED BISHOP JAMES KWADWO OWUSU:
His untimely death which resulted from motor accident on December 28, 2001, brought thousands of mourners to Sunyani. His mortal remains rest in Christ the King Cathedral at Sunyani.
Long live Bishop James Kwadwo Owusu’s legacy. And God bless the Church and Ghana.

FAREWELL:
"Eternal rest, grant unto him oh Lord. And let your perpetual light shine on him". May his soul rest in peace. Amen.

FR. GYANSA TABIRI SIMON.
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF SUNYANI, GHANA.
MOBILE: 00233 - 203790905 (W),
00233 - 245420045 (W)
00233 - 209417559 (W).


Major (Rtd) James Kwadwo Owusu
Chaplain, Ghana Armed Forces
Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana.

Most Rev. James Kwadwo Owusu
First Bishop: Catholic Diocese of Sunyani
1973 - 2001
Background: Old Cathedral Church
Sunyani, Ghana: 1973.