Five Catholic Priests Build Church for Four Communities in Ghana's Eastern Region

Five Catholic priests from the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua have jointly funded the construction of a church to serve four communities in the New Juaben South Municipality of the Eastern Region. The church, named St. John Vianney Catholic Church, is located at Trom and has a capacity for 300 worshippers. The communities of Trom, Bornya, Korle, and Abansro will benefit from this new place of worship.

The Vicar General of the Diocese, Monsignor Francis Twum-Barimah, will oversee the new church and provide pastoral services. The Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, led the dedication of the church and praised the initiative, describing it as exceptional. He commended the five priests for conceiving and completing the project within eight months.

Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum noted that the project demonstrated that infrastructure could be delivered at a lower cost through efficient management of resources. He urged the government and other institutions to learn from the initiative, stating that the country could still build cheaper if resources were managed efficiently. The bishop also emphasized the need for the Church to expand its presence in rapidly developing communities.

The convenor of the five priests, Very Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Kenneth Abban, acknowledged the collective sacrifice that made the project possible. He singled out Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Quainoo Aggrey for his initiative and commitment to the project. The other priests who contributed to the project are Rev. Fr. Michael Numekevor Jnr., Rev. Fr. Eric Evans Akahono, and Rev. Fr. Derrick Eyram Senanu.

The new church will serve as a sacred place for the celebration of the Eucharist, the administration of the sacraments, and the spiritual development of the wider community. The assigned catechist, Mrs Rose A. Dadjawah, said the new church would provide a more suitable environment for worship and encourage more Catholics to participate in church activities.

Previously, Catholic faithful in the four communities had to travel more than three miles to attend Mass at nearby churches, with transportation difficulties discouraging some from attending services. A resident, Francisca Ayitey, recalled the difficulties she encountered traveling from Trom to St. Dominic Catholic Church, particularly when she was pregnant. The elderly and other residents who had gradually withdrawn from church activities due to distance are expected to benefit from the new facility.

The project brings to 54 the number of parishes and quasi-parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua. The priests' initiative has been praised as an act of faith rendered through the sacrifice of personal earnings. The church is expected to encourage those who had stopped attending church to return and provide a more suitable environment for worship.

Key points

• The five Catholic priests invested GH¢1.6 million from their personal resources to construct the church.
• The church has a capacity for 300 worshippers and will serve four local communities.
• The project was completed within eight months, with the bishop praising the initiative as exceptional.