Friar Anthony Asuh and Friar Emmanuel Ocran Come to Love and Be Loved
Accra, Ghana, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to New York to Coal Township, Pennsylvania — all in the span of a day. Despite an arduous day of travel on September 8, Friar Anthony Asuh, OFM Conv., and Friar Emmanuel Ocran, OFM Conv., greeted parishioners, religious sisters and brother priests with genuine smiles the following evening in the social hall at Our Lady of Hope, Coal Township. The hall was filled Wednesday, September 9, for a welcome reception.
Friar Nicholas Spano, OFM Conv., pastor of Mother Cabrini, Our Lady of Hope and St. Patrick parishes, opened with prayer, and the evening included light refreshments and plenty of time for Friar Anthony and Friar Emmanuel to socialize with those they have come to serve.
The parish communities gave Friar Anthony hope before he ever left Ghana, and he wants to extend his gratitude. Because Friar Nick corresponded with both Friar Anthony and Friar Emmanuel before details of their arrival were finalized, the friars felt a connection to Pennsylvania all the way from Africa.
“The excitement [with which] they received us — for me, it’s amazing,” Friar Anthony said. For him, it was a positive sign that the people were prepared to greet the friars from Ghana. And the greeting was warm and heartfelt. Parishioners of all ages lined up to introduce themselves to the newly appointed priests. After introductions, Friar Anthony and Friar Emmanuel sat and shared a meal with several families, which allowed time for deeper conversation. Msgr. Francis Karwacki, Father William Weary and Father Bernard Wamayose, AJ, also joined the festivities. Father Jonathan Sawicki, Diocesan Delegate for Consecrated Life, attended to welcome the friars on behalf of the Diocese of Harrisburg.
The friars bring years of experience and wonderful gifts and talents to the Diocese of Harrisburg. Friar Anthony was ordained to the priesthood in 2012. He studied philosophy in Ghana and theology in Nairobi, Kenya. He specialized in the formation of priests and consecrated persons when he studied in Italy, and from 2017 until this summer, he directed philosophy students.
Friar Emmanuel was ordained to the priesthood in 2018. He studied in Zambia and Italy and served as vocation director and director of a Franciscan school for children ages 2-14. He also earned a master’s degree in educational administration.
Both friars have skills that will help advance the goals Bishop Timothy C. Senior set out in his pastoral letter, Stir Into Flame: A Pastoral Vision for the Diocese of Harrisburg. But beyond their intellectual talents and academic achievements, the friars have come to the diocese on mission.
It is not a party without cake.Friar Anthony and Friar Emmanuel live as part of a religious community, so a vote needed to happen before the mission could take place and representatives from the community could be chosen.
Friar Emmanuel said, “The fraternity is bigger than an individual.” The majority vote was very positive, so the friars were chosen and the visa process moved forward so the mission could begin. “As [friars], we are priests, and our basic mandate is to celebrate the sacraments, first and foremost. That’s what we are here for,” Friar Emmanuel explained.
Preparing for day-to-day ministry matters, but the most important work — and the reason the friars have come to the United States — is to help in the salvation of souls. The friars know that there will be a learning curve. It will take time to get to know the community and learn how to serve it effectively.
“At least our formation journey has given us some form of experience of how to live with different people, of different cultures and backgrounds — not just Europe or America or Africa. Even within Africa, you know, we have diverse differences among us. Even in Ghana, every district has cultural differences,” Friar Emmanuel said.
Although the friars had arrived less than 24 hours earlier, Friar Anthony already felt hopeful about the future. He sensed that something good was coming.
For Friar Emmanuel, the mission comes full circle. “Years ago, they came to evangelize in our part of the world; we are here to … give back,” he said. “We want to … spread the joy of the Gospel.”
The joy of the Gospel was apparent on the faces of the friars throughout the evening, even after over 21 hours of travel the day before, and the people returned it. Good things are indeed coming. Friar Emmanuel said the friars have come “to love and to be loved.” There was no lack of love on Wednesday evening. In this Jubilee Year of St. Francis, let us ask him to protect and guide Friar Anthony and Friar Emmanuel as they serve the people of Mother Cabrini, Our Lady of Hope and St. Patrick parishes. St. Francis, pray for us.
(Photos by Laura Loose, The Catholic Witness.)
By Laura Loose, The Catholic Witness
