A Ghanaian Catholic Priest from the Accra Diocese has been hounoured by the House of Representatives for the State of Iowa in the United States of America.
Currently serving in the Diocese of DesMoines in the U.S, Reverend Raphael Assamah was honoured by the House “for his efforts, care, and devotion to the residents” of Hamburg, Iowa State during the 2019 floods.”
Adopted on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, the Iowa State House of Representatives in its Resolution number 133 said “whereas, the devastating floods of March 2019 brought disaster to the lives and livelihoods of residents of southwest Iowa; and whereas, historic levels of flooding in the Missouri River basin killed several people, left thousands of people homeless, and devastated farms, fields, and local businesses … the flood victims found strength and resolve to rebuild from a faith source in the form of Father Raphael Assamah.”
According to the legislators of the Iowa State, Reverend Assamah in the face of the devastating floods of 2019, exhibited the true mark of a priest dedicated to his congregants when he “deployed a power mightier than mere raging rivers: the power of faith, hope, and charity” to ensure their safety.
“Despite the church building being under water, the members of the parish were not as Father Assamah kept the community together and moved the Catholic congregation to higher ground at the First Baptist Church, where they prayed, planned, and rebuilt their town despite the new challenge of COVID-19,” portions of the legislation further read.
At least nearly three people died in Iowa and Nabraska in 2019 when torrential rains led to flooding in the midwestern parts of the United States.
The flooding affected about 14 million Americans and led to record river levels in about 42 different locations.
Rev Fr. Raphael Assamah (second right) surrounded by the Iowa State House of Representatives