KNIGHTS OF ST JOHN CELEBRATE DAY AT ASHAIMAN (PAGE 20)

THE Third District Commandery and the District Three and Four Ladies of the Knights of St John International, Accra, have celebrated the St John the Baptist Feast Day at Ashaiman to commemorate the day.
The colourful ceremony was observed with the formation of parade by the Knights, trooping of colours of St John and inspection of guard of honour by the Principal Celebrant, Very Rev Monsignor Jonathan Ankrah of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, and celebration of Mass.
In an address, the Very Rev Ankrah, who is also the Episcopal Vicar for Juridical Matters and Director of Pastoral Centre, urged the members to critically examine themselves to understand what the church stood for.
He noted that some of their behaviours had turned away potential converts who preferred to join other churches with consequences of marrying from their new places.
Very Rev Ankrah, who led a team of five other celebrants, was of the view that they could entice new members only if they changed their lifestyle.
He urged them to build up their spiritual gains to reap benefits that would help the Catholic Church to grow.
Very Rev Ankrah advised them to organise programmes according to the teachings of the church to encourage more in the community to register with the church.
The Regimental Commander of the Knights, Col Larry Kofi Tandjie, said all that life was about was to accept flaws, apologise for them and move on instead of trying to shift blame.
He gave the assurance that members would ensure that they changed their ways of doing things to attract new converts to the church willingly.
Col Tandjie called on members of the church to offer their services to the church in particular and the nation at large.
Other celebrants were the Very Rev Fr John Schiltz, SVD, Rev Father Capt Benjamin Ohene, Rev Fr Lt Samuel Filton-Mensah, Rev Fr Lt Matthias Kotoka Amuzu and Rev Father Lt David Arko Amissah.
The Knights were drawn from the Greater Accra Region with their cadets and junior auxiliaries.
The presidents of the District Three and Four Ladies, Sisters Belinda Dogbatse and Regina Nelson, made special presentations to the Arch Diocese for Seminarians of the church and the church itself.