Very Rev. Fr. Paul Saa-Dade Ennin, the Provincial Superior of the Ghana Province of the Society of African Missions (SMA) has stated that education had always been an essential part of the mission and missionary work of the SMA.
“The Society of African Missions, as a wholly missionary congregation established on 8th December 1856 by Venerable Bishop Melchior de Marion Bresillac, whose 209th Anniversary of birth fell on 2nd December, has always placed a premium on education in their work,” he said at the official opening and commissioning of the Bresillac Catholic School at Oshuiman, Accra on Saturday, December 3, 2022.
The School established by the Society of African Missions (SMA) was started on January 18, 2022 with 54 pupils.
It is named after the founder of the SMA, Venerable Bishop Melchior de Marion Bresillac and has a staff strength of 16 made of 10 teaching staff and six non-teaching staff.
Fr. Ennin said the SMA founder underscored the importance of quality education to the development of peoples and nations.
“O precious Education! The sages of all times have placed you above all earthly riches. More precious than honours and prestige, education enhances the highest rank! For is education not key also to the progress of Families and Nations,” he quoted the SMA Founder.
According to Fr. Ennin, the SMA Founder gave clear instructions to his missionaries to “give solid education as widely as possible…give an education that will be as complete…that is a good, sound education which will enable each child’s mind and heart to make good use of the talents that God has given him, to whatever degree of development a good instruction can bring him.”
“The heart is predominantly moral and the young mind should constantly stretched in useful acquisition of knowledge,” he quoted the SMA Founder.
SMA Ghana Provincial Superior noted that education was an important part of the SMA missionary activities as means to bring progress and empowerment to the people they ministered to.
He indicated that it was in line with that the SMA established Roman Catholic Mission Schools all over Ghana from Basic to secondary Schools, stating, “In every village in southern and central Ghana where the SMA worked, a RC basic school was established.”
Fr. Ennin pointed out that “Archbishop William Porters, SMA, the first Archbishop of Cape Coast was first to establish a massive education programme in Gold Coast which gave birth to schools like St. Augustine, Cape Coast; St. John, Sekondi; St. Teresa, Amisano; St. Mary, Lolobi; Bishop Herman, Kpando; Opoku Ware, Kumasi; and OLA Secondary Schools for girls with the OLA Sister and the different Catholic Training Colleges.
The official opening ceremony was attended by the Most Rev. Henryk M. Jagodzinski, Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, who blessed the school building and unveiled the plaque; Sr. Doris Bennieh Gyan, OLA, headmistress of the School; Nii Abeka Sikafo I, Dzasetse of Oshuiman; Hon. Raymond Tetteh Commey, Assemblyman of the area and Mr. Stephen Amoah, a Procurement Expert who chaired the function.
There were cadet display and various performances including cultural dances, poetry recitals, and choreography by the pupils. There was also graduation of KG 2 pupils and presentation of certificates.
In her welcome, Sr. Gyan said the school was not only concerned about the academic growth of the children but also their spiritual and moral growth. “We recongnised that, the formative years of children is critical to securing a good future, hence we will continue to merge both the academic curricular and other useful extra-curricular activities to shape their future and development.”
According to her, all the staff members are mindful of their vision and committed to giving out their very best to the realization of this vision of imparting positive and transformative ideas into the lives of the children.
“As we mark the beginning of a great journey which will transform the lives of all the children who will attend the school, I am humbled and pleased with the task as the first headmistress to shepherd this school to realise its vision,” she stated.
Sr. Gyan noted that “I know this task is a great one but with your collective support and prayers, we shall surely realise the vision of the school. I have no doubt this school will be academic reference point for many leaders in the future.”
She averred that to actualise the vision of providing holistic and transformative education for the children, the management were putting up a library which would need financial support to furnish it with books, furniture and other useful materials.
While assuring of the willingness and commitment of the staff to deliver quality education, the headmistress appealed to parents to be interested in the academic growth of the children.
By Damian Avevor
