1

June 10,2011

Volume 1, Issue 1

holiness.

He thanked Bishop Emeritus Most

Rev. Boniface Nyema Dalieh for the

years of dedicated service to the

Diocese of Cape Palmas and aims to

build on what he has done. He also

extended his heartfelt appreciation

to Msgr. Melvin Nyanti Gaye for his

successful overseeing the affairs of

the diocese as Apostolic Administra-

tor. In the same direction, he com-

mended the Priests, Religious, and

Laity for their faithful assistance

during this period.

Meanwhile, Bishop Karnley was

consecrated by his Excellency,

Archbishop George Antonysamy,

Apostolic Nuncio to Liberia; while

Mos t Re v Le wis Ze i g l e r ,

Archbishop of Monrovia and Presi-

dent of the Catholic Bishops’ Con-

ference of Liberia (CABICOL); and

Most Rev., Boniface Dalieh, Bishop

Emeritus of the Diocese of Cape

Palmas as co-consecrators. The

Episcopal ordination also brought

together bishops from neighboring

Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone.

Bishop Karnley calls on priests to share in his shepherding

In his Episcopal Ordination remarks the

newly ordained Bishop of Cape Palmas has

called on his fellow priests to share in his

shepherding. Quoting 1Peter 5:2-4, Bishop

Karnley told the congregation gathered at

St. Theresa’s Cathedral on April 30, 2011

that the task of shepherding is a shared re-

sponsibility and that he looks forward with

pleasure and great expectation to meeting

his fellow shepherds and brother priests at

the earliest opportunity so that they can pray

and plan together on how best they can care

for the lovely people committed to their

charge. He said together they (priests) can

do a very great deal. He also made a fervent

appeal to the Clergy, Religious and Laity of

the diocese for a collaborative action in the

dispensation of their duties in the Lord’s

vineyard. He told the crowd gathered at the

St. Theresa cathedral to witness his Episco-

pal ordination that unity gives strength.

―With a heightening sense of responsibility

and service- all shrouded in a genuine at-

mosphere of religious collaboration –we

cannot fail‖ Bishop Karnley said. He cau-

tioned priests in his diocese to revitalize

their communities of faith through pastoral

and evangelical endeavors, prayer and ex-

emplary life. He reminded priests that their

call to serve God and humanity is a call to

History

The Diocese of Cape Palmas

is located in South-eastern

Liberia. It comprises of five

counties: Manyland, Grand

Kru, Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, and River Gee Counties with

the total population of ap-

proximately 481,908 inhabi-

tants. Its catholic population

is 15,863. At present, there

are ten functional parishes

with several outstations. On

February 2,1950, it became

a Vicariate. On May 7,1962

it was elevated to a Vicariate Apostolic and on December

19,1981, it was created as

a diocese.

Inside this issue:

Bishop Karnley calls

on priests to share in

his Shepherding

1

Pastoral Visitation 2-

3

Thanksgiving Mass in

Home Parish

4

Bishop’s Coat of Arms

& Episcopal Crest

5

Bishop’s profile 6

Bishop Karnley envis-

ages diocesan pastoral

Plan

7

Episcopal Ordination

in Photos

8

Cape Palmas Herald Diocesan E-Newsletter

Bishop Karnley with classmates after his Epis-

copal Ordination

Bishop Karnley taking Canonical Possession of the

Diocese of Cape Palmas, April 30,2011

2

June 10,2011

Volume 1, Issue 1

and each individual Chris-

tian has a role to play in the

fulfilling of this task. How-

ever, he stressed, ―our abil-

ity to respond to this call

will depend on the extent

Three weeks after his Episcopal Ordination, Bishop

Karnley starts pastoral visitation to parishes

The Shepherd of the Catho-

lic Diocese of Cape Palmas

His Excellency Most Rev.

Andrew J. Karnley has

begun his pastoral visita-

tion to parishes in his dio-

cese. The first leg of his

pastoral journey which

started on Saturday May

21 and ended on May 22,

2011 took him to St.

Theresa Cathedral Parish in

Harper. The visit brought

together members of the

Pastoral Council (PPC), the

Parish Finance Committee

(PFC), and representatives

of various organizations

within the parish. During

his two days visitation and

consultation with the PPC/

PFC of St. Theresa Cathe-

dral Parish, Bishop Karnley

reiterated his commitment

to see the PPC/PFC in par-

ishes in his diocese as an

enabling community,

where every member of the

parish has his/her role to

play. He also spoke of the

PCC as a partnership of

clergy and laity consulting

and working together to

enable the parish commu-

nity its mission. He said the

mission of the parish can

be found in the final words

of Matthew’s gospel which

records Jesus’ great com-

mission to his disciples:

"go, then, to all peoples

everywhere and make them

my disciples., baptise them

in the name of the Father,

the Son, and the Holy

Spirit, and teach them to

obey everything that I have

commanded you. And I will

be with you always, to the

end of the age". (Matthew

28: 19-20).

This he said is the task of

the Church in the World

and each parish community

for appropriate pastoral activ-

ity in a wide range of areas,

such as in Faith Formation,

Education and Personal

Growth; Development of

Worship, Prayer and relevant

Liturgy; encouragement of

Support groups; Youth Min-

istry; Ecumenism; Evangeli-

zation; Work for Peace and

Justice; Community Devel-

opment and Good Relation-

ship

to which we allow our par-

ish become a living, grow-

ing, healthy community

of faith. It is the role of the

Pastoral Council to encour-

age and nurture this. It en-

deavours to build up the

community of faith, not

for its own sake, but in

order that it might be a

force for good (or rather, a

force for God), as it

reaches out, intent on mak-

ing a real difference in the

wider community and

world. The first task of the

Parish Pastoral Council is

to help the parish identify

and define its particular

mission, at this particular

time, within the overall

mission of the Church. In

this way it gives the parish

a real sense of purpose

and a vision to work to-

wards”. Bishop Karnley continued,

―But its work must not end

there. It must then decide

on priorities and set goals

―With the tasks and challenges

before us, I make a fervent

appeal to the Clergy, Religious

and Laity of the Diocese of

Cape Palmas for collaborative

action in the dispensation of

our duties in the Lord’s vine-

yard. There is a popular saying

that unity gives strength. With

a heightened sense of responsi-

bility and service – all

shrouded in a genuine atmos-

phere of religious collabora-

tion – we cannot fail”. Bishop

Andrew J. Karnley (abstract

from Bishop karnley’s remarks

on April 30,2011)

Cape Palmas Herald Diocesan E-Newsletter

Bishop Andrew J. Karnley

3

he is not obliged to act on

their recommendations it is

unlikely that he will not

accept good advice‖.

He further told members of

the St. Theresa’s Cathedral

PPC that the monthly coun-

cil meetings most be a

combination of prayer,

study, reflection, planning

and reviewing and the

amount of time devoted to

each of these may vary,

depending of the needs at

the time and on the leading

of the Spirit. Speaking of

the Parish Finance Com-

mittee, Bishop Karnley told

his flocks that Canon 537

of the Code of Canon Law

calls for the establishment

etc. The list of possibili-

ties is endless. It is not the

role of the council to carry

out these tasks it-

self. Members may con-

tribute to various areas of

ministry as individuals, but

with everyone in the parish

using their God-given gifts,

together we can build a

living, growing, healthy

community of faith. To-

gether we really can make

a difference‖.

Explaining the powers of

the PPC Bishop Karnley

said; ―The PPC is consulta-

tive (Cf. Can. 536). This is

not to diminish its

role. Consultation prop-

erly understood and exer-

cised in the right spirit can

be a source of empower-

ment and life for the parish

community. The Second

Vatican Council recom-

mended the establishment

of such councils and stated

that people have a right and

duty to express their opin-

ion on what pertains to the

good of the church. By

establishing a Pastoral

Council the priest acknowl-

edges the wisdom of his

parishioners and gives

them the task of investigat-

ing, considering and re-

flecting on all matters relat-

ing to the life of the par-

ish. He invites them to

draw conclusions and make

recommendations. While

make significant contribu-

tion to parish funds.

Meanwhile Bishop Karnley

will continue his pastoral

visitation across the dio-

cese until mid July 2011.

The focus of his pastoral

visitation message will be

the PPC and PFC.

of a finance committee in

each parish to help the par-

ish priest in the administra-

tion of the goods of the

parish. According to

Bishop Karnley, ―the Par-

ish Finance Committee

(PFC) is consulted before

any major item of expendi-

ture is incurred. They

(PFC) advise the parish

priest and the PPC on the

ongoing maintenance of

the Church as well as over-

seeing any fundraising pro-

jects‖.

He then called on the PFC

to be responsible in ensur-

ing that proper records of

income and expenditure are

maintained and that an

account of administration

is given to the parishioners

and his office in every

three months. He cau-

tioned PFC members to

also ensure that the parish

income remains in line

with rising costs. With this

in mind, Bishop Karnley

said, the PFC should en-

courage parishioners to

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Karnley as Shepherd of

Cape Palmas on January 5,2011.

Page 3 Cape Palmas Herald

4

Bishop Karnley Holds Thanksgiving Mass in Home Parish

God had showered his

blessings on him since his

seminary life and then to

the priesthood. He praised

his parents for his up bring-

ing but most of all thanked

God for Rev. Fr. Gary Jen-

kins (SMA) who inspired

and supported him in his

pursuit to the priesthood.

Also attending the Thanks-

giving Mass in Tubman-

burg were priests, religious

and laity from the Diocese

of Cape Palmas, Archdio-

cese of Monrovia, and Dio-

cese of Gbarnga.

Citizens of Bomi County

on Sunday May 15, 2011

gathered at St. Dominic

Parish in Tubmanburg,

Bomi County to give

thanks to God for His se-

lection of Bishop Andrew

J. Karnley as Shepherd of

the Catholic Diocese of

Cape Palmas. The program

which was well attended

brought together a cross

session of Bomi citizens

and well wishers including

Her Excellency President

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,

House Speaker Alex Tyler,

Anti Corruption Boss Cllr.

Francis Johnson Morris,

Monrovia City Mayor

Mary Broh , Bomi County

law maker Senator Richard

Devine among other high

top government officials.

During the ceremony, the

President of Liberia, Ma-

dame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

including Bishop Andrew

karnley and Archbishop

Lewis Zeigler of the Catho-

lic Archdiocese of Mon-

rovia, inspected the guard

of honour of the Noble

Orders of the Knights of

Marshall ,St. John Interna-

tional , and Lady Auxiliary

of the Knights of St. John

International.

In his thanksgiving sermon,

Bishop Karnley spoke of

his up bringing and how

Page 4

“By establishing a

Pastoral Council the

priest acknowledges

the wisdom of his

parishioners and gives

them the task of

investigating,

considering and

reflecting on all

matters relating to the

life of the parish”,

Bishop Andrew

Karnley

Volume 1, Issue 1

Pictorial of the thanksgiving ceremony at St. Dominic Parish in Tubmanburg, Bomi County , Liberia

5

Meaning of Bishop Karnley’s Coat of Arms and

Episcopal Crest

Motto: OMNIA PER VIM

CHRISTI, meaning All

Things through the Strength

of Christ. This motto is a

statement of faith of Bishop

Karnley. It is inspired by

Philippians 4:13, ―I have the

strength to face all condi-

tions by the power that

Christ gives me‖.

Upper left of the shield: The

Marian symbol; this symbol

represents the Blessed Vir-

gin Mary who is the Mother

of the Church. The Episco-

pal Ministry of Bishop

Karnley is entrusted to the

intercession of the Blessed

Virgin Mary. The words of

Mary to the servants at the

wedding in Cana: ―Do what-

ever he tells you‖ Jn 2:5, are

meaningful to the Episcopal

Ministry of Bishop Karnley

in listening and serving.

Upper right of the shield:

The Holy Eucharist and the

Bible: The Holy Eucharist

and the Word of God pro-

vide spiritual nourishment

for the people of God. They

are at the center of the

Bishop’s pastoral ministry.

The words of Jesus to Peter

to feed his lamb are relevant

for the Bishop’s pastoral

ministry (Cf.Jn 21:15-19).

Lower left of the shield: The

map of Liberia with a palm

tree and lighted candle. The

significance of the map of

Liberia with the red back-

ground is to recall the mem-

ory of all those who suffered

and died during the years of

civil unrest in Liberia, com-

Bishop Karnley with his Mother Ma Hawa Sando after his

Thanksgiving Mass at St. Dominic Church in Tubmanburg,

Bomi County, Liberia.

mencing from the riots of

1979 to the end of the civil

war in 2003. The palm tree,

besides representing the lush

and green forest and vegeta-

tion of Liberia especially the

south-eastern region, is a

symbol of hope and the birth

of new life. The lighted can-

dle represents the burning

desire of Liberians to tread

along the bright and promis-

ing paths that lead to justice,

peace, healing, reconcilia-

tion, and development

Lower right of the shield:

The Dove, though generally

a symbol of peace, is also a

symbol of the grace of God.

It is only by the grace of

God that we are what we are

and can become what we

ought to be (Cf. 1Cor.15:10).

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Newsletter of the Diocese of Cape Palmas

Managing Editor : Solo Otto Gaye

Email: sologaye@yahoo.com

Phone: +231-6333-194

Production Center: Bishop’s House, Harper

Philippians 4:13, “I have

the strength to face all

conditions by the power

that Christ gives me”.

Catholic Diocese of Cape Palmas E– Newsletter

Bishop Karnley’s coat of arms and

Episcopal Crest

6

Bishop Karnley’s Profile

The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on 5 January 2011, appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Cape Palmas (Liberia)

Mrgs. Andrew J. Karnley.

Bishop Karnley was born on 26 April 1967 in Jawajeh Varney Bohn,Bomi County, North-western Liberia. After

secondary school at Our Lady of the Fatima High School in Harper (Diocese of Cape Palmas), he entered the St Kiz-

ito Seminary in Kenema in 1987 for the pre-major seminary course and then started his studies in philosophy first at

St Paul's College Seminary in Gbarnga, Liberia, and then completed in Makeni, Sierra Leone, where he obtained his

baccalaureate ( Magna Cum Laude) in 1991. He completed his theological studies at St Peter's Regional Seminary,

Cape Coast, Ghana (1993-1995). He was ordained a priest on 9 July, 1995 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Monrovia,

and appointed to the same archdiocese.

After his priestly ordination he held the following positions: 1995-1996: assistant parish priest of our Lady of

Lourdes Parish; 1996-1997: Vice Rector Queen of Apostles Minor Seminary, Monrovia; 1998-2000: Parish Priest of

Immaculate Conception Parish, Monrovia; 2000-2002 : Rector of St. Charles Lwanga Pre-Major Seminary, Mon-

rovia; 2002-2003: Study leave at the institute of St. Anselm in Kent, England where he earned a diploma in Human

Growth & Development; 2005-2009: was appointed by the Holy Father as Apostolic Administrator Sede Plena of

the Archdiocese of Monrovia; 2010- January 2011 : study leave at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; 5

January 2011 : elected as Bishop of the Diocese of Cape Palmas, South east Liberia; 30 April 2011: Episcopal ordi-

nation/enthronement as Bishop of the Diocese of Cape Palmas.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and entourage at the Thanksgiving Mass at St. Dominic

Church in Tubmanburg, Bomi County

From left to right: Archbishop Zeigler, President Sirleaf, and Bishop Karnley

7

Staff of the secretariat of the Diocese of Cape Palmas held a one day retreat initiating the process to find a way for-

ward for the diocese. The retreat which was aimed at re-energizing, teambuilding and moving together with a vision

was held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Harper City, Maryland County. The retreat

brought together directors, managers, monitors, securities and janitors of the diocesan secretariat. Welcoming the

staff members, Rev. Msgr. Melvin Nyanti Gaye, Vicar General of the diocese said that the retreat was important

because it will help shift the diocese into a new direction. He called on participants at the one day retreat to posi-

tively share their many years of experiences so as to help in the process of moving the diocese in a new and positive

direction. Meanwhile, in his opening remarks, Most Rev. Bishop Andrew Karnley thanked the organizers of the re-

treat and said he was gratified by the participants’ presence. Bishop Karnley told his staff that, ―good planning for

the short and long term is very important. The Diocese of Cape Palmas needs to set goals and objectives and means

and strategies to achieve. The input of the staff in the process is valued‖. He called on staff to identify their needs,

problems and challenges and underscored that each department, parish and organization within the diocese needs to

make plans and set priorities in order to achieve a common goal. He then challenged the secretariat staff to treat

each other with mutual respect. He also cautioned staff to properly manage and utilize the human, financial and

material resources of the diocese well. ―change will come about as time and circumstances dictate, the first change

starts with oneself - the change of mind and attitude. We should develop the right attitude to work; that is reporting

to work punctually and putting in time and energy creatively to achieve results‖ Bishop Karnley said.

During the retreat, facilitators were able to motivate participants to brainstorm on the future of the diocese. After

six hours of full participation and brainstorming, secretariat staff members were able to propose that the diocese

revisits her mission and vision statements, that a diocesan pastoral plan be draw up and a staff welfare committee be

commissioned by the bishop to sort out staff problems and needs. They said this will enable the diocese to grow in a

new direction.

Meanwhile, responding to the proposal of his staff, Bishop Karnley welcomed their ideas and said all this is possi-

ble if each and everyone work with determination, dedication and commitment. He promised staff that he will re-

view their proposal carefully and necessary considerations will be made to include their proposal within a new di-

ocesan pastoral plan. He told secretariat worker that the retreat will be extended across the diocese to priests, reli-

gious, and laity so as to sort out views on the future of the diocese.

The one day retreat was facilitated by Civil Peace Worker, Miss Brigitte Hinterregger, Very Rev. Msgr. Melvin

Nyanti Gaye, Vicar General; and Mr. P. Mike Jurry, Director, CARITAS Cape Palmas.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

–——————————————————————————————————————————————————--

Bishop Karnley Envisages Diocesan Pastoral Plan

Left to Right: Rev. Fr. Boniface Golo Tye, Rev. Fr. Foster Gar-

diner, and Rev. Fr. Ted Hayden were appointed as Consultors

by Most Rev. Bishop Andrew J. Karnley on April 30,2011.

Left to Right:: Rev. Fr. Joseph C. Nyantee, Chancellor

of the Diocese of Cape Palmas and Very Rev. Msgr.

Melvin Nyanti Gaye Vicar General of the Diocese of

Cape Palmas. They were appointed on April 30,2011 by

Most Rev. Bishop Andrew J. Karnley.

8

Bishop Karnley’s Episcopal Ordination in Photos