The just-ended Inter-Congregational Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Coordinators Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the Tamale Institute for Cross-Culture, Tamale, from April 16 to 19, 2026, saw Fr. Nicholas Nibetol Aazine, SVD, re-elected as the National President.
The Inter-Congregational Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation is a subsidiary body of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana (CMSR-G). The JPIC is made up of the different Catholic Religious Congregations and Societies of Apostolic Life (comprising Priests, Sisters, and Brothers) working in the area of promoting justice, peace, and integrity of creation through advocacy, care for the poor, the needy, and the marginalised in society, and care for the environment as stewards of Mother Earth.
In all, about 23 Religious Institutes were represented at the year’s AGM. At the meeting, new officials were elected for 2026 to 2029, during which Fr. Nicholas, SVD, was re-elected the President with Sr. Joy Abuh, MSHR, as Vice; Fr. Isaac Amponsah-Boateng, CSSp, Secretary; Sr. Cynthia Godia Bienaan, CSC, Vice Secretary; and Bro. Irenius Nimbare, FIC, and Sr. Eduarda Bongo, RVM, Treasurer and Vice Treasurer, respectively.
The entire Inter-Congregational JPIC is subdivided into Zones, and the zonal leaders are as follows: Fr. Bernard Jado, SJ, for Zone 3B, Sr. Mabel Abayol, SSND, for Zone 3A, Bro. Clenerius Chimpali, MAfr., for Zones 1A and 1B, and Fr. Isaac Amponsah-Boateng, CSSp, acting as the Zone 2 Leader.
The call to care for people and the environment is not just following the social teachings of the Catholic Church, but is also part of the core values and mandate of the Church. In other words, it is not just a teaching for some selected few but for all: priests, religious, and lay faithful alike.
The AGM was officially opened with a word of welcome by the President of the group, Fr. Nicholas N. Aazine, SVD. The group was privileged to have Very Rev. Fr. Thaddeus Kuusah, the Administrator of Our Lady of Apostles Cathedral, Tamale, who doubles as the Archdiocesan Director for JPC and National President for Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, who represented the Archbishop of Tamale, Most Rev. Philip Naameh, to welcome the participants and to give a goodwill message.
Referring to the theme for the AGM, “The Role of Peace in Promoting Truth and Justice and Integrity of Creation”, Fr Thaddeus said that our world is increasingly marked by conflict, misinformation, ecological degradation, and injustice. For this reason, peace serves as a fertile ground for truth to flourish.
He added that as priests and religious, we should cherish truth and promote a peaceful environment, for “This is what God wants and this is what God stands for.” He ended by conveying the Archbishop’s greetings and wished us a fruitful AGM.
On his part, Fr. Bernard Jado, a Nigerian-born Jesuit Priest, spoke extensively on the topic, “Justice Begins at Home: Accountability of Stewardship within Religious Communities,” and highlighted the following: understanding stewardship in religious life, accountability as a demand of justice, the home we must examine – our communities, stewardship of power and authority, and a call to conversion and ongoing discernment.
Fr. Joseph Blay, OFM Conv., also took the house through how we can value and maintain peace in our various communities, workplaces, and wherever we find ourselves.
Dr. Kenneth Edem Asigbey, CEO of Ghana Chamber of Mines, took the participants through the more worrying state of “galamsey” in Ghana, alluding that not much change has taken place regarding the fight against galamsey.
He also indicated strongly that the health risks and hazards that galamsey pose on human life were still surging each day: water bodies are still stained, babies are born with deformities, lands are destroyed, young children, particularly boys, quit going to school because they have to do galamsey, and galamsey sites or areas are marred by insecurity.
He charged the group, the Catholic Church, all Christians and Muslims, as well as all lovers of the environment, to rise against the destruction of Mother Earth without giving up on the fight.
In attendance at the AGM was Very Rev. Fr. Matthias Yaw Kotoka Amuzu, Director for Accra Archdiocesan Justice and Peace Commission (JPC). Since last year, the Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp, has asked Fr. Amuzu to join the Inter-Congregational JPIC Coordinators for their AGMs so that they could share ideas, learn from one another, and partner with the Archdiocese in some of their activities.
At the end of the AGM, the group resolved to help curb the environmental menace, engage in sensitization and advocacy, and help promote peaceful co-existence in our various places of apostolate, just to mention a few.
The group extended its thanks to the Superiors of the various Religious Congregations and Societies of Apostolic Life for their continual unreserved support towards JPIC activities, especially the success of the AGMs.
“We are equally indebted to the individuals and groups who supported us financially, not forgetting our speakers: Fr. Blay, Fr. Jado, and Dr. Ken, for their insightful inputs. Moreso, we thank the Archbishop of Tamale for welcoming us into his Archdiocese. Gratitude also goes to the Tamale Institute for Cross-Culture (TICC) for hosting us, not forgetting all the coordinators for coming,” the group said.
By Fr. Isaac Amponsah-Boateng
