Several priests from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis recently traveled to Ghana to attend the ordination Mass of four men from that country to the priesthood. They completed their formation at the St. Paul Seminary.
One of the priests who made the trip was Father Peter Laird, vicar general of the archdiocese, who served at the seminary as vice rector during part of the time the four men were there.
The men who were ordained (see photos above) were Fathers Kevin Abakisi, Robert Abotzabire, Peter Akudugu, and Albert Wugaa. Presiding at the ordination was Bishop Alfred Agyenta of the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga. Two of their classmates from the St. Paul Seminary attended the ordination at St. Anthony of Padua in Bawku on Dec. 1 — Father Nicholas VanDenBroeke and Father Evan Koop. The two priests were ordained in May in the archdiocese, along with Father Ben Little.
“It was powerful because these four guys are good friends of mine who I’ve gotten to know over the last four years,” said Father VanDenBroeke. “It meant a lot to me to be able to be there for their ordination and to support them.”
Memorial service set for Father Bernard Reiser
A service in memory of Father Bernard Reiser will be held at Epiphany in Coon Rapids Dec. 27, the one-year anniversary of his death. A 6:30 p.m. Mass will be followed by refreshments and fellowship.
Several years ago, Father Reiser founded Reiser Relief, a non-profit organization, to provide relief, hope and dignity to the poor, elderly and homeless people of Haiti.
Since his death, family members have joined the Reiser Relief board and are committed to carrying on their uncle’s legacy in Haiti. His niece, Ann Brau, is currently serving as president of the organization.
“Father touched the lives of countless thousands of people statewide through his years as a priest, and we continue to receive correspondence and support from so many of them,” Brau said.
Reiser Relief, Inc., is currently raising funds to construct the Father Reiser Memorial Elder Care Facility in Titanyen, Haiti. More than half the funds needed for the project were raised on Give to the Max Day, an online giving event Nov. 15, organized by GiveMN.org.
