On February 23, 2024, Sr. Burkel Clauadette, SSpS marked her 91st birthday and her 55th years of service as a Missionary in Ghana and has since left Ghana back to her home country.
Sr. Claudette is a member of the Mission Congregation Servants of the Holy Spirit Sisters, (SSpS) and she is from the United State of America. She arrived in Ghana on September 6,1969.
Upon her arrival, she taught Mathematics at the St. Mary’s SHS at Korle Gonno, Accra from 1969 to 1978. She later became the Regional Superior of SSpS Ghana Region for two terms that is for six years. During those years, she started Prison Apostolate at the Ussher Fort in 1981, then James Fort, Borstal Institute at that time as well as other Prisons.
After her term of office, she again went back to the classroom at St. Thomas Aquinas SHS, cantonments for 18 years during the time of Fr. Samuel Batsa of Blessed memory, where she taught Mathematics and Religion.
Finially, Sr. Clauadette retired from the classroom as a teacher from Accra and relocated to Koforidua Diocese, where she continued with her Prison Apostolate at the Koforidua Prison for the rest of her stay in Ghana.
Present at her 91st birthday and send off Mass held at the Madonna Basic School in Koforidua, were the Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, Bishop of the host Diocese; some old students of St. Thomas Aquinas which includes the Most Rev. Bishop Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, SVD Bishop of Keta-Akatsi Diocese, Msgr. Alex Bobby Benson, founder of Mathew 25, an HIV and AIDS care facility in Koforidua, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Ohene, Headmaster of Pope John SHS, Minor Seminary, Rev. Fr. Stephen Dogodzi, SVD Vice Provincial of SVD Ghana-Liberia Province who are all past students of Sr. Clauadette. SSpS.
Some of Sr. Clauadette’s students described her as a motivator, a mother with a heart of compaction, who sheltered the homeless, fed the hungry, and bought medication for the sick which included some her students.
In attendance also were Representatives of Ghana Prisons Service in Eastern Region led by the Regional Director and Ambassador Parker Allotey, The Regional Director of Education in Eastern Region, a representative of SMOGANS Sr. Bridgit, HDR who delivered a valedictory statement on behalf of Archbishop B. Kwofie CSSp, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra and of course the SSpS sisters. The niece of Sr. Clauadette, Erin King Hoggatt, represented her family and other priests, religious, friends and loved ones were all in attendances.
“It was a mixture of feelings as Ghana bids farewell to Sr. Clauadtte, said Sr. Cynthia Addi Chanagea, SSpS as she shares her encounter with her.
“From my own experience as a community member of Sr. Clauadtte, even at her old age, she still wanted to work just as we the young sisters worked in the community, she was very attentive to the needs of her Sisters in the community,” Sr. Cynthia stated.
According to her, Sr. Clauadtte was always the first to read her articles published in the Daily Graphic Newspaper and later shares with the rest of the Sisters.
“She was always the first to welcome me back home after work. She congratulated me for the stories written and encouraged me to keep it up,” Sr. Cynthia said
Before her departure, she was the only sister left from the United State of America.
By Sr. Cynthia Addi Chanagea, SSpS
