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FIVE YEARS (2011 – 2016) OF EPISCOPAL MINISTRY IN
RETROSPECT: A JOURNEY OF CHALLENGES AND BLESSINGS
BY MOST REV. ANDREW JAGAYE KARNLEY
BISHOP OF CAPE PALMAS
I was appointed Bishop of Cape Palmas on 5th January 2011 and subsequently
ordained on 30th April 2011 at St. Theresa Cathedral in Cape Palmas. Most Rev.
George Antonysamy, who was the Apostolic Nuncio to Liberia, was the principal
consecrator. He was assisted as co-consecrators by Most Rev. Lewis Ziegler,
Archbishop of Monrovia and Most Rev. Boniface Dalieh, Bishop Emeritus of Cape
Palmas.
My episcopal appointment and ordination, which I can only attribute to the grace
and calling of God, prematurely ended my study of Church History at the
Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. It was quite an interesting coincidence
that I was working on a book report on the power and authority of bishops in the
4th
and 5th centuries when I was confidentially informed of my appointment and
later announced. One of my professors assigned this book to me on the first day of
lectures in October 2010. A few weeks after the announcement of my
appointment, I was given a certificate of registration and attendance in testimony
of the one semester I studied at the University.
In the ensuing months after my ordination, I visited all the parishes and a few out-
stations of the diocese. It was an uphill and demanding task reaching some places
like Sasstown and Buah in Grand Kru County as there were virtually no roads to
these places. Some places, like Betu, can only be reached by canoe. I even walked
part of the way to Tartuken in River Gee County. The roads were in a deplorable
state and overgrown with bush. And as part of my learning process about the
diocese, I also had consultative meetings with most priests, religious superiors,
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heads of diocesan departments and institutions, members of parish pastoral
councils and finance committees as well as other key stakeholders. This exercise
of pastoral visits and consultations was very much revealing. It opened my eyes to
the achievements that had been made, the enormity of the challenges and the
hidden opportunities in the diocese. I thus sought to build bridges of support and
collaboration locally and internationally to further enhance the achievements made,
deal with the challenges and exploit the opportunities. Based on what I had
observed and learned about the diocese, some key strategic priorities were set.
Paramount among them are the renovation of the infrastructure of the diocese,
working with the Vicar General and heads of department to source financial
resources for operational needs and programs for Caritas, Health, Education,
Justice and Peace and Pastoral and Catechetics, providing mobility for pastoral and
administrative work and initiating dialogue for collaboration with missionary
congregations. There is tangible evidence around the diocese that these priorities
are being realized each year through the providence of God and our collective hard
work.
The dialogue with missionary congregations in these five years has yielded fruitful
results with the Society of the Divine Word (commonly called Divine Word
Missionaries) establishing a mission in Grand Gedeh since November 2014. Four
Divine Word Missionaries are on the mission there. The Society of African
Missions has responded favorably to return to their old mission in Sasstown. A
priest and a lay missionary are serving in Sasstown as of the end of April 2016. A
second priest will join them later this year.
Though far from completion, a significant amount of progress has been made in
renovating and improving the rectories, convents, SHF formation house, SHF
nursery, churches, chapels, schools, diocesan secretariat, bishop’s residence and
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other facilities in the diocese. Besides renovation work, the construction of a new
church in Grandcess is now at roof level, a chapel is in progress in Bledjee in
Maryland and rectories are being constructed in Hoffman Station in Maryland and
Zwedru in Grand Gedeh. St. Francis Clinic in Pleebo has expanded and improved
its infrastructure and service in recent years.
Sasstown in Grand Kru, which was very isolated and without a resident priest as of
1994, has had a resident priest since January 2012. Fishtown in River Gee County
now has a resident priest since December 2015.
There has been a gradual improvement in mobility for pastoral, social and
administrative work in some parishes and almost all of the departments.
The Finance Department has undertaken an income generating initiative for the
diocese by setting up the Cape Palmas Investment Corporation. A general
merchandise store is established and a general hardware store will follow
eventually. Besides these, an oil palm plantation is being developed in Barriken
through a small holder project with the Maryland Oil Palm Plantation.
Many laudable initiatives and programs have been undertaken by various
departments, institutions and congregations in the diocese. The initiatives and
programs have positively impacted the lives of people in the southeast of Liberia.
There have been opportunities for capacity building for a few priests, religious and
lay staff.
The remarkable ministry of the Sisters of the Holy Family and the Missionaries of
Charity in the diocese is highly commendable. They always give their very best by
putting their heart and soul into all they do. The majority of the diocesan priests
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are doing well in their parishes and other assignments within and outside of the
diocese. Many good initiatives have been undertaken by them and the people in
the parishes. They have been my close collaborators in providing the necessary
pastoral and spiritual leadership to the people of the diocese. Some of them live
and work in challenging places in the southeast. The work of the lay men and
women in the departments, schools, clinics, rectories and convents and other
institutions deserve commendation. Many of our catechists and lay leaders have
demonstrated dedication and commitment to their ministry in the parishes and out-
stations.
We have been blessed in these five years with six persons being ordained to the
priesthood in 2012 and 2014. Three religious of the Sisters of the Holy Family
made Perpetual Vows in 2012. And just recently two novices of the Sisters of the
Holy Family made their First Profession of Temporary Religious Vows.
The road to realizing the priorities set was punctuated by high and low moments,
challenges and blessings. There were setbacks, delays, disappointments and even
accidents occasioned by human and natural agencies. I have even gone through
the ordeal three times of sleeping on the roads in Nimba, Sinoe and Grand Gedeh
because of extreme muddy and deplorable road conditions. We experienced the
tragic deaths of a deacon in 2011 and a lay missionary in 2016. There were also
the passing away into eternity in 2013 of Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis and
in 2014 of Bishop Boniface Nyema Dalieh. Even two young energetic priests
have fallen seriously ill, thus impacting our human resource capacity for pastoral
and spiritual leadership. But the goal was never lost even in the most difficult and
trying times. We forged ahead with resilience and determination.
I am grateful to God for his grace and calling to service in the Church in the
episcopate. Who I am today and what I have accomplished in the Diocese of Cape
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Palmas in these five years could not have been possible without the grace and
blessings of God. I must say thank you to the priests, religious and laity of the
diocese for their prayers, good will, hard work and collaboration in these five
years. What has been achieved thus far is our collective achievement. Everyone
has played his/her part well like an instrument in a musical symphony.
I must acknowledge with gratitude and appreciation the prayers and support of my
friends in Liberia and abroad. The Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the
Faith and the Pontifical Society for the Holy Childhood in Rome, the American
and British Provinces of the Society of African Missions, the Madonna House
Apostolate in Canada and the Catholic agencies, particularly in Germany, have
been very supportive. I must mention with gratitude the solidarity of our local
dioceses in Liberia and dioceses in the United States, Canada, Germany and
Nigeria.
The Vicar General, Rev. Msgr. Melvin Nyanti Gaye, the heads of departments and
all the staff of the Diocesan Secretariat have worked with me with efficiency and
dedication in these five years for the good of the diocese. I thank them most
sincerely.
I thank the Lord for calling me to the episcopate and giving me the graces and
blessings to carry out my episcopal ministry in these five years. TO GOD BE THE
GLORY FOR WHO I AM AND ALL THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN
THESE FIVE YEARS.
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