Clergy, religious and lay Catholics stand outside St. Thomas More Church, Cherry Hill, on May 8, one year after the parish started hosting a monthly Mass for families from Ghana and other African countries.
One year ago Father George Donkor Tang, a Ghanaian priest in residence at the Parish of St. Thomas More in Cherry Hill, started celebrating monthly Masses for Ghanaian families, with the hope that other African families in the Camden Diocese would also start attending.
Twelve months ago, no Ghanaian or African attended St. Thomas More, but Father Tang was encouraged to start celebrating the Masses after meeting a Ghanaian woman, Baaba Yanney, who serves as Eucharistic Minister in Virtua Hospital Voorhees, where he is a chaplain. She offered to help. Father Tang also was encouraged by Msgr. Thomas Morgan, the pastor of the parish.
The first Mass in Ghanaian tradition was scheduled for November 2008, and about 25 Ghanaians were invited. But inclement weather caused it to be cancelled, dampening the spirits of many.
The first Mass was finally celebrated on May 9, 2010, and it was soon decided to continue having the Mass on the second Sunday of every month. Next, efforts were made to start including other African communities.
At the year mark, on May 8, 2011, Father Tang celebrated with Father Joachim Ifezuo Oforchukwu from Nigeria, Father Bruno Dongo from Uganda, Deacon Vincent Okoro, and with families from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote D’Ivoire and sisters from Zambia. Enthusiastic supporters from Puerto Rico and native-born Americans also joined the celebration.
The celebration continued in the reception hall where everyone present got a taste of culinary delicacies from the various African communities.
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