Where is Father Rudy?

September 10, 2020

Many parishioners are curious about why Fr. Rudy has not returned to St. Mark. He left to visit his family in Ghana just before the COVID -19 shut down took hold. The airport in Ghana closed until recently.
Now, the good news is that the airports in Ghana have reopened. The bad news, however, is that they will not let Fr. Rudy board an airplane because the end destination is the United States. Fr. Rudy’s Religious Worker Visa would, according to Diocesan attorneys, permit him to enter the United States. There are, apparently, other obstacles about which we can only speculate. The officials in Ghana will not let him board the airplane at the present time. At present, nobody knows when he might be able to return.
Father is visiting his family in his home diocese and is surrounded by children and friends. He helps out saying Mass in his home diocese and performs other ministerial functions. In short, he is home and is in good shape, although he is a little frustrated at present.
We are in his prayers and he hopes to rejoin us when the powers that be, in Ghana, permit his travel. We have assured him that he is in our prayers! We do not have a date for his return. I thought you would want to know and I ask that you please keep lifting his spirit in your prayers.

Fr. John

My Unfortunate Fortune

It happens that with excitement and joy, after a long wait, I finally received a Delta Ticket to Tucson. I made preparations to travel, as per the COVID protocols. At 19:00GMT I was at the airport, checked in, baggage was received, and was awaiting the flight which was to take off at 22:00GMT. The airport is now a restricted place, my family dropped me off and left. I continued to the immigration checkpoint and told by the officer in charge,

“Sir, please you cannot travel due to Visa restriction
on all Visas except nationals and residents.”

All my joy came to an end. I called my uncle and he came to the airport to pick me up. Only to get home, find my family waiting and they welcomed me back home that night. I was still quiet and sad when I arrived and they greeted me with, “God is good,” and I responded with “and all the time God is good.”
Although my experience was terrible, the ways of God are not the ways of people. I will encourage you to keep your faith alive in this time of pandemic. I will continue to pray for my parishioners and pray I will be able to join you soon. It would excite you all to know that I underwent a COVID test and tested negative, at least we can all thank God for that.
In Ghana cases of COVID keep dropping. Currently, as per the Ghana’s Outbreak Response Management Updates reports active cases are at 836; while the total death from the beginning of the outbreak to the current date is 285. Out of this death toll, I only know of one personally. Reverend Father Peter Akbug, a retired educationist, died of COVID-19m in the Ho Diocese of Ghana.
I celebrate Mass with my family every day, except on Saturdays. I also celebrate Masses at the Prince of Peace Parish. In conclusion, we have to be steadfast in our faith and continue to pray for one another. COVID-19 is a testing moment for our faith. Therefore, let us pray as a community in the hands of God. And help us remember that Jesus said He would never abandon us in difficult times. Jesus is with us. Let us therefore be strong in our faith.
Wishing you all the best in difficult times. St. Mark the Evangelist, pray for us.

Fr. Rudy