Theme of unity expressed at celebrations for diocesan ministry

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

WORCESTER – Praise and unity were themes sounded as African Catholics celebrated their silver jubilee.

“The African Ministry here in the diocese is 25 years [old],” declared the chaplain, Father Enoch K. Kyeremateng, preaching at the anniversary Mass Sunday at St. Peter Church, where the ministry began. “Alleluia! Praise the Lord!” (The choirs echoed that, with the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s “Messiah,” and songs in different African languages.)

Father Kyeremateng praised Msgr. Francis J. Scollen, “the first pastor of the African Ministry,” once St. Peter’s pastor, and now sacramental minister there. Father Kyeremateng, administrator of St. Joan of Arc Parish, also thanked Father José A. Rodríguez, now St. Peter’s pastor, who was St. Joan of Arc’s pastor when the Ghanaians moved there in 2008.  

African Ministry leaders gave Bishop McManus an award, a gift, and an award to give Bishop Richard F. Reidy, who supported the ministry before leaving the diocese to become Bishop of Norwich. (Other people received awards at the African Ministry Awards and Dinner Dance May 24 at Assumption University, where previous chaplains – from Africa, and Worcester diocesan African priests – were acknowledged.)

“Today … we have professed the truth” that we believe the Church is one, holy, Catholic and apostolic, Bishop McManus said Sunday. No matter what continent we come from, there is only one faith.

“Your faith has inspired me,” he told the congregation, to applause. He expressed hope for African vocations and gratitude for African bishops sending good African priests here.
Father Kyeremateng preached about unity.  

“Jesus’ wish is that you and I will be with him as he is with the Father,” he said. “The Holy Spirit seeks oneness,” so Africans should promote that. “We don’t celebrate 25 years and then we sleep … It’s a reminder that we have a lot to do.” He urged listeners to each ask what their wish is for growth – of the African community and personally.

The first African chaplain of the community had sounded a similar theme.

“I hope to bring [African immigrants] together to form a community,” Father Anthony Ogunleye was quoted as saying, in a Jan. 12, 2001 Catholic Free Press article. The Nigerian native arrived in Worcester on Dec. 30, 2000, and lived at St. Peter’s.

The article said Sister Marie Prefontaine, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur who was director of the diocesan Office for Ethnic Ministries, found that many local immigrants knew each other but went to different parishes or didn’t practice their Catholic faith. Bishop Daniel P. Reilly allowed her to seek a priest for these Africans. She requested Father Ogunleye, whom she knew when she served in Nigeria.

Gabriel Muiruri, a Kenyan who at first didn’t know what churches in Worcester were open, said Father Ogunleye pointed him to the African community at St. Peter’s. Mr. Muiruri himself brought others to St. Peter’s, after a Protestant pastor sought his help for African Catholics who wanted to attend Mass.  

Juliana Ekeson also needed help finding a Catholic Church when coming here from Nigeria 1983 as a Clark University student. A priest pointed her across the street – to St. Peter’s. There she met the pastor, Father George E. Rueger (later auxiliary bishop of the diocese).
“I think we were only four Nigerian families and some Kenyans then,” she said.  

Msgr. Scollen became St. Peter’s pastor in 1989. He said Bishop Reilly asked him to restart work there with a Black Catholic Ministry, which involved African-Americans, and later new African immigrants too.

“He worked very hard” trying to bring African Catholics in the diocese together, Mrs. Ekeson recalled.

In time, the African community moved to St. Andrew the Apostle, a mission of St. Peter’s, which had space for worship, social gatherings and parking.  

Conflict arose between Ghanaians and East Africans, Mrs. Ekeson recalled. She said it helped ease tensions when the Ghanaians went to St. Joan of Arc and the other Africans stayed at St. Andrew’s.  

Now there are also African communities at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Fitchburg, and at St. Paul Cathedral (which doesn’t have an African Mass). Father Kyeremateng said that the last census, in 2023, found 786 families altogether.  

Celebrating their 25th anniversary gave Africans an opportunity to “showcase our culture, helping to build the faith of the youth,” said Paul Awortwi-Mensah, vice chairman of the diocesan African Ministry and secretary of the St. Joan of Arc Ghanaian community. He said, “We’re trying to use our culture to bring them together to share in the faith and to remain in the Church.”