The Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church (SMMC) marked the Ruby and Silver Jubilees of nine of their members with a strong call to action on cancer awareness, education, and care.
The celebration, held at the Mater Ecclesiae School Hall in Sokode Gbogame on September 8, 2025, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, drew religious and lay faithful from within and outside the Ho Diocese.
The Holy Mass was presided over by the Most Rev. Anthony Kwami Adanuty, Emeritus Bishop of Keta-Akatsi Diocese, and concelebrated by the Most Rev. Gabriel Akwasi Ababio Mante, Bishop of Jasikan.
As part of the anniversary thanksgiving, Sr. Dr. Lucy Hometowu launched the congregation’s maiden health initiative, the “Veil of Hope Cancer Campaign.”
The project is spearheaded by Mothers HopeNCare, a newly registered NGO of the SMMC.
Sr. Dr. Hometowu said, “We have walked the painful road of cancer with some of our sisters. We have witnessed survival through early detection, we have stood by those still fighting, and we have also lost beloved sisters after years of battling the disease”.
She also added, “This campaign is rooted in love, compassion, and hope.”
The campaign’s goals include Raising awareness on breast, cervical, and prostate cancers, reducing the stigma that prevents many from seeking medical help, promoting early detection and timely treatment, offering psychosocial and spiritual support for patients and families, and partnering with stakeholders and NGOs to improve cancer outcomes in Ghana.
Sr. Dr. Hometowu also highlighted the rising burden of cervical cancer, which kills about 2,000 Ghanaian women annually, and prostate cancer, now the leading cancer among men in Ghana.
She commended the government and partners for rolling out the HPV vaccination campaign this September, a step that could drastically reduce cervical cancer rates in the future.
A health talk was followed by testimonies: one from a medical doctor who is a breast cancer survivor, and another from a widower who lost his wife to breast cancer.
These stories emphasized the life-saving importance of early detection and treatment.
The congregation made a passionate appeal for financial support to sustain the campaign and extend care to those battling cancer.
“Cancer is real, and there is nothing spiritual about it. Early detection saves lives! Behind every veil is a story of courage. May our Veil of Hope Campaign shine brightly in every heart we touch.” Sr. Dr. Hometowu concluded.
The jubilee celebrated the faith journey of the following Sisters:
Ruby Jubilee (40 years): Sr. Cecilia Afari, SMMC, and Sr. Constancia Atachie, SMMC.
Silver Jubilee (25 years): Sr. Lucy Mawuenya Pitapi, SMMC; Sr. Georgina Veronica Kpeglo, SMMC; Sr. Evelyn Claudia Afriyie, SMMC; Sr. Cynthia Veronica Ntenye, SMMC; Sr. Mary-Consolata S. Ankamah, SMMC; Sr. Victoria Osorade, SMMC; and Sr. Elizabeth Liberty Setorwu, SMMC.
The event was both a joyful thanksgiving for years of dedicated religious service and a solemn reminder of the congregation’s new mission of giving hope and care in the fight against cancer.
By Celestine Edem Gbologah//Newswatchgh.com
