African Ministry makes plans to celebrate 25th year

By Bill Doyle | CFP Correspondent

WORCESTER – The African Ministry in the Diocese of Worcester will celebrate its 25th anniversary in June in the same year that Catholics celebrate the 2025 Jubilee.

Every 25 years, the Catholic Church Jubilee dedicates the year to reconciliation, conversion and spiritual renewal, and offers the opportunity to receive plenary indulgence, removal of all punishment for sins.

Father Enoch K. Kyeremateng, chaplain of the ministry, believes the two anniversaries occurring in the same year is fitting and he thinks the Jubilee’s theme of “Pilgrims of Hope” works for his ministry as well.

“Being part of this African community will enhance not just your African identity,” he said, “but our worship, our service to God. That is the main purpose – service to God and how more or less you will get to know your African brother and sister and come to the aid of one another. Building contacts is very important. So at the point of need, you know where to go.”

Bishop McManus is scheduled to help celebrate the 25th anniversary Mass for the African Ministry at 1 p.m. on June 1, at St. Peter Parish.

The Mass will be said in English, but the Prayer of the Faithful and the readings will be in such African languages as Swahili, Ghanaian and Kirundi. The Ghanaian choir of St. Joan of Arc and the St. Andrew African choir will perform.

Father Kyeremateng, who is also administrator at St. Joan of Arc Parish, and a few African priests from the Diocese of Boston will also be on hand. A reception at St. Peter will follow the Mass.

“We went to St. Peter,” Father Kyeremateng said, “because that is our roots, that is where we all started from.”

Msgr. Francis J. Scollen, pastor at the time, started the ministry in 2000 at St. Peter Parish with Father Emmanuel Ogundle, who came from Nigeria. By 2008, the number of Ghanians had increased and they moved to St. Joan of Arc Parish.

“The contribution, the participation at St. Joan of Arc is marvelous, wonderful,” Father Kyeremateng said. “They really add to the goodness and how blessed the parish of St. Joan of Arc has been.”

Father Kyeremateng was ordained in 2009 in his native Ghana and he came to the U.S. to attend the University of Miami. He went on to earn his master’s degree in rehab psychology and counseling at Assumption University. In 2017, he replaced Father Eric Asante as the African Ministry chaplain.

Father Kyeremateng said the African ministry expanded to St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Fitchburg in 2012 and to St. Andrews the Apostle Mission in 2014. St. Paul Cathedral is also part of the African Ministry, but it does not host events.

The African Ministry has several events scheduled in 2025.

At a dinner-dance on May 3, the African Ministry will distribute awards to 60 or 70 people, including a few priests, who helped the ministry grow. Father Kyeremateng said the event will be held at a location to be determined.

The ministry plans to hold a trivia and game night at St. Joan of Arc for youths aged 13-18. The date hasn’t been set yet, but it’s usually held in June after the school year ends. A back-to-school seminar and cookout for college students and 2025 college graduates will likely be held in August.

The ministry has registered about 900 Africans of all ages, according to Father Kyeremateng. Adult leaders oversee the youth programs at St. Joan of Arc, St. Andrew’s and St. Anthony of Padua. The parishes combine for programs as well so the youth can grow to know youth from other communities.

“The response has been very encouraging,” Father Kyeremateng said.

The annual Lenten Leaders Retreat will be held as usual on the day before Palm Sunday, on April 12, at St. Andrew’s.

“To be a leader, you need to be equipped,” Father Kyeremateng said. “So we try to fortify ourselves spiritually to be good leaders, to be mentors, to be leaders to help our community. That is our goal.”

The leaders encourage the parents to get their children involved. Father Kyeremateng said at first it was difficult to find dedicated adults to become leaders, but now there are more than 20 of them at the three parishes. Participation has also improved, especially among the Ghanaians.

At St. Andrew’s and to a lesser degree at St. Joan of Arc, working summer jobs prevents some college students from taking part in many of the African Ministry programs.

Father Kyeremateng said nearly all of the students who take part in his ministry’s programs attend college. He believes holding high school graduation Masses at the various parishes provides extra incentive for the students to do well in school.

The ministry’s scholarship committee also works with the students to try to improve their grades. This summer, the committee hopes to begin raising money to award college scholarships in the fall.

Last October, the African Ministry visited Rome, Assisi, Naples and Bari with Father Adam R. Reid and members of his St. Anne Parish in Shrewsbury. A total of 33 people went, and they went to an audience with Pope Francis.

“It was awesome,” Father Kyeremateng said. “I always say and I’ve been telling people that the difference between going to Rome and the Holy Land is that when you go to the Holy Land, it is more biblical. You read a bible, you read a scripture. But in Italy, it is more Catholic. The saints are beautiful – the Sistine Chapel, the churches.”

Father Kyeremateng said he was deeply touched when he viewed in Assisi the body of Carlo Acutis, who is scheduled to be canonized in St. Peter’s Square on April 27. The Catholic Church believes his body is incorruptible, meaning it hasn’t decayed since he passed away from leukemia at age 15 in 2006.

Father Kyeremateng had planned for the African Ministry to visit the Holy Land for a third time, but the trip was postponed due to the Israel-Hamas war. He hopes to return to Jerusalem soon.

Father Kyeremateng has plenty to do as chaplain of the African Ministry and administrator at St. Joan of Arc Parish.

“I like to be busy,” he said. “It’s good. I’m enjoying it.”

The African Ministry office can be reached at 508-929-4329 or africanministry@worcesterdiocese.org.