Pictured is The Most Reverend John Yaw Afoakwah of Ghana, who served as parochial vicar for Blessed Trinity/St. Patrick parishes in Tioga County from 2007-2011. (Photos by Jim Raftis Sr.)
The Most Reverend John Yaw Afoakwah of Ghana, who served as parochial vicar for Blessed Trinity/St. Patrick parishes in Tioga County from 2007-2011, held a special Tioga “homecoming” on Wednesday evening, July 22, as he celebrated Holy Mass at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 300 Main St., Owego.
Then-Father Afoakwah was appointed by Pope Francis as the new bishop of the Diocese of Obuasi, Ghana, in November 2014. He has an extensive background in teaching and parish ministry, and performed pastoral duty in Tioga County while finishing work toward his master’s degree in education administration at LeMoyne College in Syracuse and before returning to his native land.
Bishop Afoakwah, 61, is a native of the Ashanti Region in south Ghana. He was ordained a priest in 1992 and this is his first assignment as a Bishop.
On Sunday, July 26, Bishop of Rochester Salvatore R. Matano visited Apalachin, celebrating Holy Mass at St. Margaret Mary Church, 1110 Pennsylvania Ave., at 10:45 a.m. Since his installation in January 2014, Bishop Matano has regularly traveled throughout the 12-county Diocese to visit parishes, celebrate Mass and greet parishioners.
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- vicar for Blessed Trinity/St. Patrick parishes in Tioga County from 2007-2011, held a special Tioga “homecoming” on Wednesday evening, July 22, as he celebrated Holy Mass at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 300 Main St., Owego.
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- The Most Reverend John Yaw Afoakwah of Ghana, who served as parochial vicar for Blessed Trinity/St. Patrick parishes in Tioga County from 2007-2011, held a special Tioga “homecoming” on Wednesday evening, July 22, as he celebrated Holy Mass at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 300 Main St., Owego.
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- Bishop of Rochester Salvatore R. Matano delivers his homily and then celebrates Holy Mass at St. Margaret Mary in Apalachin.
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- Bishop Matano was very pleased to learn that his three altar servers – Daniel Raftis, Ben Cacciaglia and Will Delaney – all portrayed the role of Jesus in St. Margaret Mary’s Youth Program, The Living Stations of the Cross.
