The Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, a Missionary Congregation working in Ghana, will climax its Golden Jubilee of presence in the West African country with two major activities on April 26 and 27, 2024.
On Friday, April 26, there would be a Conference at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church at Mafi Kumase in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese in Ghana’s Volta Region to be facilitated by Very Rev. Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, MCCJ, Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries from Rome.
Comboni Missionaries working in Ghana, friends and benefactors of the Comboni Missionaries, are expected to attend and participate in the Conference.
The Golden Jubilee would be climaxed with a thanksgiving Mass on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at Our Lady of Assumption (OLA) Catholic Church at New Achimota, Accra at 9:30am to be presided over by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp.
The Mass would be concelebrated by scores of Priests including the General Superior, Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie and Comboni Missionaries working in Ghana Togo and Benin.
On March 17, 2024, the 50th anniversary was launched in all Parishes shepherded by the Comboni Missionaries in Ghana. In Accra, it was launched at OLA Parish, New Achimota; St. Daniel Comboni, Tantra Hills; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Chantan; and St. Cecilia, North Ofankor.
In the Keta-Akatsi Diocese, the anniversary was launched at the Good Shepherd Parish at Mafi Kumasi and in Cape Archdiocese at the St. Paul’s Parish at Nkanfoa.
The Comboni Missionaries arrived in Ghana in 1974 during the time of Fr. Neno Contran, MCCJ as first Provincial Superior of the Province of Togo-Ghana-Benin, who started the first contacts with the Bishop of the former Keta-Ho Diocese, Rt. Rev. Francis Anani Kofi Lodonu. Fr. Giuseppe Rabbiosi, MCCJ who is still working in Ghana accompanied Fr. Neno Contran to see Bishop Lodonu in the middle of August 1974.
They took over the mission at Abor, handed over to them by the Society of African Missions (SMA). The late Fr. Cuniberto Zeziola and Fr. Joe Rabbiosi were the first Comboni Missionaries who witnessed the handing-over ceremony.
Since their arrival in Ghana in 1974, the Combonis have worked in many places especially in the Volta Region including Abor, Laiti, Sogakope, Adidome and now Mafi Kumase.
In 1999, the Combonis decided to open the Comboni Mission in Accra for more visibility and above all to promote mission animation and vocations.
The Comboni Missionaries deemed it a necessity to move to the Accra Archdiocese as a gesture of openness to other cultures of Ghana. As a result, the Comboni Missionary Priests, Frs. Antonio Dasilva Fernadez, MCCJ of blessed memory and Francisco Machado, MCCJ arrived in Our Lady of Assumption (OLA) Church, New Achimota in 2001.
The OLA Church was elevated to the status of a Quasi Parish on January 4, 2002 having Fr. Machado as her Priest in-charge. In 2008, it was elevated to the status of a full Parish with Fr. Eugenio Petrogalli as the first canonically installed Parish Priest.
Currently, Fr. Machado is the Parish Priest shepherding both OLA and her three outstations – St. Daniel Comboni, Tantra (2003); Immaculate Heart of Mary, Chantan (2003); and St. Cecilia, Ofankor North (handed over to Combonis in 2012). He is being assisted by Fr. Job Plinga and Fr. Bonaventure Gnaha, who is also the Director of Mission Animation and Vocations in Ghana.
From Accra, the Comboni Missionaries extended their pastoral work to the Cape Coast Archdiocese in 2009. It currently has Fr. Boris Ketemepi, MCCJ as the Priest-in-charge which has three Outstations – Amosima, Edukrom and Akonoma.
The St. Paul Parish, Nkanfoa was erected on September 29, 2009 and entrusted to the Comboni Missionaries. Their presence in Nkanfoa, Cape Coast, was influenced by the fact that a House of Formation was opened for their theological students in Cape Coast and the Parish served as pastoral insertion for the students.
The St. Peter & Paul International Scholasticate is the formation house in Cape Coast with Fr. Kondo Komivi Antoine, MCCJ as the Formator Superior and Fr. Girau Pellicer José Antonio, MCCJ as Formator.
Presently, the Combonis have a Mission Animation and Vocations Office in OLA with Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Gnaha, MCCJ as the Director who can be contacted by any youth interested to serve or be a Comboni missionary.
The Combonis also have a Postulancy in New Achimota, Accra, close to the OLA Parish where young people in formation (postulants)stay in order to go for philosophical studies at the St. Paul’s Seminary at Sowutuom. Rev. Fr. Evans Kotoku, MCCJ is the Superior of the Postulancy, assisted by Rev. Fr. Aime Komlatse Hakpa, MCCJ as a Formator.
Celebrating 50 years of presence in Ghana, the spiritual and social works of Comboni Missionaries in general and in their missions in particular can be seen all over. Through their Magazine, ‘New People’, the Comboni Missionaries managed to reach the four corners of Ghana with the Gospel and mission news.
Because of the good works of the Comboni missionaries, today, there are Schools and a hospital at Sogakope, a dispensary in Gefia near Akatsi, clean water in many villages, a Children’s village (In my Father’s House) and a Handicapped Centre at Abor.
The Congregation has also served many Parishes and created many Outstation Churches, most of which are now parishes. In fact, the Comboni Missionaries are seen as the Founding Fathers of the Ho Diocese and also of the Keta-Akatsi Diocese.
The Comboni Missionaries provoked human development in the life of many youths and families. They have helped in the education of many young boys and girls who find themselves in the leadership positions today including many religious priests, sisters, brothers and the local clergy.
ROLL OF FINALLY PROFESSED GHANAIAN COMBONI MISSIONARIES
- Bro. Joseph Anku
- Fr. John Kofi Tasiame (deceased)
- Fr. Shane K.M. Degblor
- Fr. Godwin Kwame Kornu
- Fr. Ruben Dodzi Awuye
- Fr. Evans K. Lawson Kotoku
- Fr. John Bliss Boadi
- Fr. John Hammond K. Sekyiamah
- Fr. Johnny Hanson P.K. Agboli
- Fr. Joseph K. Nhyiraba Anane
- Fr. Pius Boosoro
- Fr. Simon Agede
By Damian Avevor
