Koforidua Catholic Diocese marks silver jubilee

Tomorrow, November 25, will mark the climax of 25th anniversary of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua (CDK), with pomp and circumstance.

The event is billed to attract hundreds of parishioners from all the five deaneries-Nkawkaw, Asamankese, Krobo, Koforidua and Akyem-Oda- to the Jubilee Park in Koforidua to mark the historic event.

The celebration, themed “CDK @25: Renewing our faith in the light of the new evangelisation,” is meant to commemorate the diocese’s achievements in the 25 years of its existence.

The anniversary started yesterday and will be closed on Sunday, November 26, 2017 with a thanksgiving mass that will be presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Most Rev. Jean-Marie Speich. The mass will also be attended by the first Bishop of the Dioceses, Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra; the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum and priests.

Creation of Diocese

The CDK used to be part of the then Accra Diocese.

On July 6, 1992, by a Papal Bull from Rome, the then Holy Father Pope John Paul II announced the creation of the CDK, which was separated from the Accra Diocese, making it the 10th diocese to be created in Ghana.

On that same day, the Holy Father appointed then Rev. Palmer-Buckle who was ordained by His Holiness on January 1993 as the first Bishop of the newly-created diocese. He shepherded the congregation for 13 years until 2006 when the present Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Afrifah-Agyekum, was installed, making him the second Bishop of the Diocese.

When the Diocese was created, it lacked a number of infrastructure and other basic amenities required for it to function properly. To address these challenges, an accommodation was acquired for the Bishop of the Diocese, an edifice that today remains the residence of the Bishop. The property was first acquired by a German priest, Frederick Hahn, who had conceived the thought that someday Koforidua could become a diocese.

Soon after the acquisition of the accommodation for the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle conceived the idea for a new office for the bishop to be built on a piece of land opposite the EREDEC Hotel. It is on this land that today a new secretariat has been built and will be inaugurated tomorrow.

Pastoral centre

In the early stage of its birth, Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle mooted the idea to construct a pastoral centre. Funds were solicited and contributions of the diocese were used to construct the project.

“Slowly but surely we were able to complete three structures at the centre—the administration block, youth accommodation and a St Poelten House to accommodate guests. We have in mind constructing a multi-purpose dining hall complex to serve other functions,” Most Rev. Afrifah-Agyekum told the Daily Graphic in an interview.

He described the pastoral centre, a non-denominational facility that is accessible to people from all walks of life, as one big achievement that had helped the diocese to train many priests, the lay faithful and the youth over the years.

“Youth formation has become our biggest cornerstone and our policy direction is to train young people to help them to understand what the church stands for, its ethics, moral doctrines and practices,” he added.

Health facilities

The CDK can today boast many health facilities that it inherited and improved upon. In many cases, it has been able to even add more of such facilities to improve access to quality healthcare service across the Eastern Region.

“Today, we have the St Dominic Hospital at Akwatia, one of the biggest mission hospitals in Ghana; Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw that handles lots of accident cases, St Martin De Pores Hospital at Agormanya in Odumse Krobo and the famous St Joseph Orthopaedic Hospital at Koforidua, which handles trauma cases from Ghana and other West African nations. Besides, we have the Orthopaedic Training Centre at Adoagyiri where children affected by polio and those born with certain deformities get their physical challenge managed by a good team of experts. Many children have gained mobility because of the presence of the centre which is now a training centre for orthotics and prosthesis,” Most Rev. Afrifah-Agyekum stated.

To ensure effective management of these big hospitals and many other health centres under the diocese that are located in rural areas, a Health Service Directorate has been established to coordinate the activities of all such institutions.

Educational institutions

The diocese also inherited a number of schools from basic up to tertiary levels that have improved access to quality education for the youth, especially in the rural areas.

“We have quite a number of secondary schools and colleges of education such as the Mount Mary College of Education at Somanya and the Nursing Training College at the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw.

“These are institutions that are churning out teachers and nurses to complement the government’s efforts to make healthcare services more accessible to Ghanaians,” the Catholic Bishop said.

Matthew Chapter 25

In addition to the great strides the diocese had made in the area of education and health, one major project that it is proud of is the Matthew 25 House, a non-governmental organisation. This project, masterminded by Rev. Msgr Alex Bobby Benson, is currently helping those infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

The facility, which embraces all people regardless of race, tribe, religion or political affiliation, is significantly aiding orphans and vulnerable children whose education and upkeep expenses are being borne by the project.

These accomplishments, among many others, are worth celebrating as the CDK is not only making a big difference in addressing the physical and spiritual needs of the congregants but also serving the larger interest of society, especially rural communities in the Eastern Region.

Writer’s email: nana.agyeman@graphic.com.gh