Fr Paul Antwi-Boasiako CSSp, aka Wofa Kwame was born in Ghana on 17th December 1955 at Obuasi-Akrofuom. After completing his elementary School in 1972, he had to do farming for four years and work as mechanic’s apprentice for two years before entering Secondary School in 1978 because his parents couldn’t afford secondary education.
After secondary school, Fr Paul joined the Congregation of the Holy Spirit popularly known as the Holy Ghost Fathers (and Brothers) or The Spiritans and made his first religious profession on 8th September 1986 in The Gambia.
From here, the rest of Fr Paul’s priestly formation took place in Nigeria with the Spiritans in their formation houses at Nsukka and Enugu and he was ordained to the priesthood on 23rd July 1994 in Ghana. He did the Loreto formation course in Dublin, Ireland in 2003/2004. After ordination, Fr Paul was appointed to The Gambia, West Africa, then to Ghana in 1999 and finally to the United Kingdom in December 2012.
Fr Paul says: “As a Spiritan Missionary, I have enjoyed my priestly ministry as Assistant Priest, Parish Priest, Novice Master, Director of Pastoral Centre and finally, Hospital Chaplain at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich for over three years before my appointment to Garston, Our Lady and St Michael Parish on 1st September 2020. My Priestly Silver Jubilee was in 2019. I enjoy walking, socialising with friends and caring for the sick.”
Paul Quinn is the Permanent Deacon of our Parish. He is married to Marina and has three daughters: Katie, Jodie and Niamh. Paul works as the CEO for a Special School in the London Borough of Enfield – West Lea School. His secular role involves the leadership of all aspects of school life. In recent years, Paul has been involved in the expansion of the school, the establishment of a Cooperative Education Trust and an innovative employment pathway for young people with Special Needs, many of whom are economically disadvantaged
Paul has been a parishioner of the parish for many years, and in 2013 he responded to God’s Call to the Permanent Diaconate. Having completed his formation, Paul was ordained in July 2017, with many of our parish family in attendance. Paul’s ministry sees him assisting at mass and preaching regularly, as well as officiating at Baptisms, Funerals and the ‘odd’ wedding or two!
The ministry of the Deacon is varied, as Paul remarks “The fundamental nature of the deacon is that of a servant, especially to those whom the bishop or priest does not have the time to serve. This mandate obviously covers a very wide spectrum, from working with the homeless, youth, elderly, working in prisons, education, or whatever else the bishop or priest needs. A deacon is not ordained because he is ‘super holy’, rather he is ordained because the Church needs help that is faithful and that can vow obedience to her teachings. St Ignatius of Antioch in the 2nd Century described the ministry of the deacon as the same as the ministry of Jesus Christ recalling the Lord’s command to love one another. The deacon therefore is a minister of service. When a deacon is ordained, he is reminded that he will help the bishop and his body of priests as minister of the word, of the altar and of charity. Deacons are therefore called to make themselves servants of all. To summarise what a deacon ‘is’, we can simply say that he is an Icon of Christ the Servant who he seeks to serve in proclaiming the Gospel and in serving at the Altar showing how this service is the same service of charity to which all Christians are called”.
Fr Benedict Baka CSSp was born on the 25th of May and ordained a priest in 2019. Fr Ben has worked since ordination as the assistant priest at Our Lady of Sorrows, Archway Parish, London, prior to his ordination as a volunteer hospital chaplain at the Whittington NHS Trust and the Pentonville HMP prison, London and once ordained, as the school chaplain to St. Aloysius College, Hornsey lane, Highgate. He is currently the chaplain of St. Michael’s Catholic High school, Garston, Watford.
His passion is in working with young people, the poor and homeless, listening to music, watching Chelsea matches, writing, reading and making new friends.
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. (Philippians 1:20-21)