Archbishop Emeritus of Tamale laid to rest

Archbishop Emeritus of Tamale, Monsignor Gregory Ebo Kpiebaya, one of the oldest Catholic Church leaders in the country, was laid to rest after a requiem mass in Tamale.
The solemn ceremony, intertwined with song amidst dancing, brought together Catholics inside and outside the country, including Henryk Jagodzinski, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana (Pope’s Ambassador), the Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer- Buckle, the Archbishop of Cape Coast, the Reverend Richard Kuuia Baawobr, Bishop of Wa and Cardinal-elect, among other bishops, priests and members of the public.
Among the dignitaries, who graced the event, were Mr. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader of Parliament, Prof. Jane Nana Opoku-Agyemang, 2020 running mate of the Democratic National Congress, and Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, and some chiefs.
Archbishop Emeritus Kpiebaya, who died on May 31 this year, was born in 1933 in Nanvilli, Kaleo Parish in the Upper West Region.
He was ordained a priest in the Wa Catholic Church in September 1962, and his first appointment after his ordination was to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Daffiama, where he worked as a vicar.
After nearly 20 years of Episcopal ministry in Wa, Bishop Kpiebaya was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale in March 1994 and was installed in November 1994, a position he held until his canonical resignation in February 2009.
As bishop and archbishop he carried out his duties with courage, unwavering faith, untiring zeal and dedication, and in addition to his episcopal pastoral work and his diocesan administration, he exercised various functions in the universal, regional and national.
Bishop Philip Naameh, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale led the sermon during the Requiem Mass in Tamale.
Archbishop Peter Kwasi Sarpong, Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi, senior member of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), performed the rites of recommendation over the body of the late Archbishop Emeritus Kpiebaya before he was buried at Our Lady of Annunciation Cathedral (OLA), Tamale.
Bishop Paul Bemile, Bishop Emeritus of Wa Diocese, in a homily praised Archbishop Emeritus Kpiebaya, extolling his virtues and contributions to the church.
Archbishop Bemile said the number of national and regional awards Archbishop Emeritus Kpiebaya has received in recognition of his contribution to peace and development is a great legacy he left behind.
He said the Catholic Church will continue to cherish him as a unique member who has made many contributions to the growth of the Church in the country.
He said, “We should be encouraged by what he has done and thank God for the gift of his long life, which has been a blessing to the church.”
Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu of Konongo-Mampong Diocese who read a tribute on behalf of the GCBC recounted the roles of Archbishop Emeritus Kpiebaya as a member of the GCBC, saying the GCBC had lost a strong servant and one of its trusted leaders. .
He said Archbishop Emeritus Kpiebaya will be remembered for his contributions to the GCBC and the church as a whole.
The Northern Regional Minister, in a remark, said it was time to reflect on the contributions of the late Archbishop Emeritus Kpiebaya, whose life was an example of humility and love for humanity.
He praised his contributions to peace and development, especially in the northern part of the country.
Prof Nana Opoku-Agyemang, who represented former President John Mahama, said the late Archbishop Emeritus Kpiebaya served diligently and remained focused, adding, “He was a unifier. He also turned into opportunities what could have been challenges, and left us with all these examples.