The Accra East Grand Commandery and Accra East Grand Ladies Auxiliary of Knights of St. John International have officially handed over their hermitage project at the Archbishop Andoh Catechetical Centre to the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra as part of efforts to strengthen spirituality among Catholics in the Archdiocese.
The handing over ceremony which took place on April 23, 2025, brought together officers and members from various Commanderies and Auxiliaries in Accra East Grand.
In a solemn mass, presided over by Most. Rev. Anthony Narh Asare, one of the Auxiliary Bishops of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, emphasized the importance of hermitages in spiritual growth and encouraged all faithful to make good use of the facility.
According to Bishop Asare, members of Accra East Grand should also utilize the facility, stating that, “because Christ is risen, he gives meaning to our faith… You must also pledge that this wouldn’t be a white elephant, but this should start a movement of a church in prayer.”
In his homily, Rev. Fr. Major John Benya Mensah, Chaplain of Accra East Grand KSJI, highlighted the need for members of the order to serve as witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, who direct individuals in their faith journey.
Likening members to Philip in the first reading, he noted, “We are at the Philip of the 21st century, where we are supposed to direct people, as our Lord Jesus Christ said, to know where they can find God.”
He also added, “People are looking for solitude, a place for meditation, a place where they can encounter God. It will be your duty, it will be my duty, to direct them to come and stay here and encounter God in a very special way.”
Speaking to Newswatchgh, Brigadier General Samuel Baimbill- Johnson, Grand President of the Accra East Grand Commandery, and Noble Sister Margaret Mary Palmer- Buckle expressed their gratitude to all members and other faithful who contributed to making the project a success.
While speaking, they emphasized the importance of a hermitage and a spiritual centre in the Archdiocese of Accra, urging all faithful to visit the Archbishop Andoh Catechetical Centre rather than traveling long distances for spiritual activities.
“We are asking all to see this Kordiabe place, which is the Archbishop Andoh Catechetical Centre, a retreat centre. You can come here instead of traveling all the way out of Accra Archdiocese for your retreats”, they said.
They added, “We are asking all brothers and sisters, not just the Knights, but the Catholics and Christians alike, because I know of some people who come here, even from the Pentecostal and other Protestant churches, who come and retreat here. So what are we Catholics doing? Come one, come all.”
The KSJI Hermitage project, which has officially been handed over to the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra is made up of three bedrooms, a chapel, a kitchen, a visitors’ washroom, a laundry, and two detached hermitages. It has been posthumously dedicated to the memory of Most Rev. John Kwadwo Ammisah, Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast and a former Spiritual Director of KSJI Ghana.
By: Veronica Sena Amenya//Newswatchgh.com
