Rev Fr. Lt. Cdr. Sylvanus Dogodzi, Command Chaplain of the Eastern Naval Command and Director of the Apostleship of the Sea, Stella Marris Ghana, was on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 promoted to the the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
On the occasion of his 44th birthday, he earned a promotion which equals that of a Major in the Army and a Squadron Leader in the Air Force.
He shares a sneak peek into his humble journey
Rev Fr. Lt. Cdr. Sylvanus Dogodzi got admission to the military Academy on February 25, 2011 and began his 6-month Military training course short service commission. He started the process in January and he was commissioned on Friday September 2, 2011 which happens to be his birthday.
After his commissioning, he went to the Sekondi Naval Base to continue with the Sea phase of the training for 6 months to learn all the navy terms, learn how ships are conned and also learn how to perform duties at the Base. After the 6 months training, he went to sea to put into practice what he has been exposed to.
After the Sea training, he was posted to the Sekondi Naval base as a chaplain and was there for almost three years. In 2013, the then Archbishop of Accra Most Rev. Gabriel Palmer Buckle asked him to go to Rome for a meeting organised by the Dicastery for Integral Human Development under the auspices of Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People (Stella Maris, Apostleship of the Sea)
From that meeting in Rome, he prepared and went to Liberia for his first peacekeeping operation for 6 months. When he returned from Liberia, he was sent to Accra to work at the Eastern Naval Base and St. Catherine Burma Camp and he has since been working from 2014 to date.
While in Accra, he undertook a Masters programme in Conflict, Peace and Security at the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Center (KAIPTC). After completion of the programme, he was promoted to the rank of Naval Lieutenant which is comparable to the rank of a Captain in the Army and flight Lieutenant in the Airforce.
He served at the Eastern Command as the Naval Chaplain to the year 2017 and wrote his promotional exams in 2017 and was successful.
Unfortunately, in 2018, he had to undergo three neck surgeries but God was faithful in all these surgeries. After recovery from the surgery, he had to start work at Tema.
He is currently at the Eastern Naval Command as the Command Chaplain and the Director of the Apostleship of the Sea, Stella Maris Ghana-an International Catholic Organization that takes care of fisher folks and seafarers and all those working in the Maritime industry. He, however, resides at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church Tema Community 8.
He was commissioned on the 2nd of Sept 2011 as Sub/Lt and after four years was promoted to LT/GN (Ghana Navy) equivalent to army Captain and Airforce Flight Lieutenant.
As a Naval Chaplain, he organises quarterly inter-denominational religious programmes for the troops. There are prayer and discussion sessions every Wednesday (known as Padre Hour) for the troops. He is also the Command Counselor where he with a team of counselors counsel troops with issues with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), troops who are addicted, troops who sometimes absent from duty without permission. He together with the team engage them in counseling in order to bring them back on track or help them to conform to the rules and regulations of the service.
Rev Fr. Lt. Cdr. Sylvanus Dogodzi was ordained a catholic priest on 21st January 2006 by the Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer Buckle. He was the first priest to be ordained by the Archbishop when he was transferred from Koforidua Diocese to Accra Archdiocese.
Before His ordination, he took sometime out of formation for two years. During that time, he taught at the Christ the King School at Cantonments in Accra.
After his priestly ordination, he was posted to the Holy Spirit Cathedral Adabraka as an Assistant priest. Whilst at the Cathedral, he pursued his first degree in Psychology and Political science at the University Of Ghana, Legon and he graduated in 2011.
After working for 3 years at the Cathedral, he was sent to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church (OLAM) Tema Community 1, as an associate priest and also the chaplain for Apostleship of the Sea. While working in Our Lady of Mercy Marish (OLAM), he started his processes of getting enlisted into the Ghana Armed Forces.
After his fifth year at OLAM, he went to the Military Academy for his Military training.
While in Takoradi, he was at St. Paul Pro-Cathedral in Sekondi where he learnt how to speak the Fante language and was able to celebrate mass and preach in the Fante language.
Rev Fr. Lt. Cdr. Sylvanus Dogodzi was born on the 2nd of September 1976 in Kumasi to Mrs Lydia Dogodzi who is an Octogenarian now and SWO 2 Amos Kwame Dogodzi of blessed Memory. He has seven other siblings. He attended Airport Police Prim & JSS. After completion with his Basic Education, he got admission to Pope John Secondary and Seminary in 1993 and completed in 1995.
He has been a priest for almost 15 years.
Source: Agnus Dei Media
