Accra:17 honoured with Order of St. Gregory and St. Sylvester, Pope awards

A total of 17 Catholics in the Archdiocese of Accra have received honoured with the Order of St. Gregory and St. Sylvester, Pope awards for their service to the Church.

Seven of the recipients were awarded Papal honour “Knighthood and Dame of St. Gregory the Great.”

While 10 were awarded Papal Honour “Knight and Dame of the order St. Sylvester, Pope”

Their investiture ceremony was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, His Excellency Most Rev. Henryk M. Jagodziński at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Accra on December 10.

List of awardees

Papal Honour “Knighthood and Dame of St. Gregory the Great.”

1. Mrs. Elizabeth Hanu Bulley
2. Anthony Kobina Yebuah
3. Anthony Oteng-Gyasi
4. Ernest Amoako-Arhen
5. Johnnie Ignatius N. Moreaux
6. Sylvester Jude Kpakpo Parker-Allotey
7. Vincent Joseph Dela Selormey

Papal Honour “Knight and Dame of the order St. Sylvester, Pope”

1. Mrs Gloria Peggy Kwasie
2. Dr. Mrs Mary Anane-Mensah
3. Mrs Perpetua Opong
4. Air Commodore Basin Denis Dery (Rtd)
5. Andrew Christian Agyekum
6. John Korku Agnageeh Klu
7. Joseph Botchway
8. Richard Ko Akpokavie
9. Samuel Nii Armah Hammond
10. Simon Attigah

In Ghana there is a national structure known as the Forum of Papal Knights and Dames (FPKD). The Forum meets twice a year at the national level. It however operates mainly at the Diocesan or Provincial level. Knights and Dames in each Diocese are to work in support of and close collaboration with their Bishop.

Indeed, apart from forming part of the Bishop’s procession on some important occasions of the Church, Papal Knights and Dames are enjoined to take up directives and policies from the Ordinary of their Diocese. In this respect, Papal Knights and Dames are expected to come together as a Diocesan Group so that they can have a channel of communication and direction from their Bishops.

General national Assemblies deal with extraordinary matters, renew orientation, and share experiences and helpful practices for the purposes of deepening faith and commitment to the Church. In between the two meetings of the year, any important information received will normally be communicated to members by the Secretary.

About the Order Of St. Gregory the Great

The Order was founded in 1831 by Pope Gregory XVI to honour citizens of the Papal States. In 1905, it was it was reformed and is often conferred on persons who are distinguished for personal character and reputations and for their conscious services to the Church and society, regardless of their religious allegiance. The Order has three classes: Knight or Dane of the Grand Cross, Knight or Dame Commander and Knight or Dame.

Decoration

The ribbon of St. Gregory is a red with a broad orange stripe at either
side. It’s Cross is an eight pointed “Maltese” Cross in gold with red enamel and gold balls on
the end of each point, ensigned with a gold medallions bearing the image of St.
Gregory and the words Pro Deo etc Principe on the reverse. The badge of the civil division
is surmounted by a green enamel laurel wreath.

About the Order of SAINT Sylvester

The Order of SAINT Sylvester was formally constituted on February 7, 1905 by Pope Saint Pius
X in his motu proprio, Multum ad excitandos. The Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester,
Pope and Martyr is one of five Orders of Knighthood awarded directly by the Pope as the

Supreme Pontiff and Head of the Catholic Church and the Head of State of the Vatican City.
It is intended to honour Roman Catholic lay people who are actively involved in the life of the
Church, particularly as it is exemplified in the exercise of their professional duties and
mastership of the different arts.

As with all Orders of the Holy See, there is no set method of nomination for this Order. The Holy
See is free to nominate and award in any manner in which She sees fit. However, awards of the
Order of Saint Sylvester is typically made on the recommendation of Diocesan Bishops or
Archbishops or Apostolic Nuncios for special merit or service.

Nominations may also be made by Parish Priests to their Bishops for His consideration. If the request is processed through their Local Bishop, then the usual procedure is for that Bishop to nominate the candidate through the appropriate Apostolic Nuncio, who then forwards the recommendation to the Cardinal
Secretary of State in Rome.

Upon approval, a diploma is issued in Latin (with the candidate’s forenames also translated into
Latin where possible), and it is signed in almost every case on behalf of the Roman Pontiff by the
Secretary of State of the Vatican.

Before the 1905 reforms of Pope Saint Pius X, the Order was known as the Order of the Golden Spur, under the patronage of Saint Sylvester, one of the Orders’s supposed founders.