Deacon Thomas Bamoah: God’s providence

► Age: 45

► Masses of Thanksgiving: All Masses June 6, St. Joseph, Gretna; June 12-13, St. James Major, New Orleans; June 19-20, St. Thomas, Pointe a la Hache; June 26-27, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chalmette; July 3-4, St. Anthony, Gretna; July 10-11, Holy Family,  Luling

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

“I am proof that it is never too late to respond to the call of God into his vineyard,” said Deacon Thomas Binanbiba Bamoah, who will be ordained June 5 at St. Louis Cathedral as a priest for the Diocese of Yendi in Ghana.

Deacon Bamoah’s priestly journey is rooted in his love of God, despite coming from a family of African Traditionalists.

“None of my family are Christians,” he said. “I am the only one in my family and my village.”

Yet, God planted faith seeds, starting with an invitation to attend St. Michael’s Primary School in Chamba, Ghana – his first time in school at age 15.

Tribal conflict disrupted his junior high years.

“The teachers left; they ran away,” Deacon Bamoah said, but a parish priest reopened the school and later assisted in enrolling him in St. Mary’s Minor Seminary in Lolobi, Ghana.

That constant faith influence led to his baptism and confirmation as a Catholic in 1996, and his acceptance into St. Charles Minor Seminary in 1999 to earn a high school diploma.

“For me, the major motivation (to become a priest) came from Father Isidore Aayang,” who came to my village,” he said. “He didn’t know me but took me on a motorbike to the main parish to see the parish priest,” who supported his entry to his first minor seminary.

Deacon Bamoah then was educated at several minor and major seminaries before hitting a roadblock studying Latin at St. Victor’s Major Seminary.

He returned home and finished a basic education degree and taught at St. Hubert’s Catholic Primary School.

Throughout adulthood, his yearning for the priesthood grew as God surrounded him with role models – including Father Michael Labre, now pastor of St. James Major in New Orleans (who will vest him) – and visiting priests such as Divine Word Father Joseph Amazur.

A rejected marriage proposal in 2015 prompted Deacon Bamoah to reapply for the seminary in Yendi. His bishop asked Archbishop Gregory Aymond for a scholarship for him at Notre Dame Seminary in 2017.

“The archbishop said yes,” he said. Father Labre helped him organize the necessary documents for admission. “I credit Father Michael for my studies here. God is wonderful.”

His priestly mentor in the archdiocese has been Father Gary Copping, pastor of St. Joseph in Gretna.

“I called Father Gary my brother because he taught me how to be a priest,” he said.

Deacon Bamoah will return to Ghana Aug. 12 and aspires to be a simple priest who is always with his people.