Sakumono Corpus Christi Church marks 20th anniversary

Ghana: Sakumono Corpus Christi Church marks 20th anniversary

story: George Sydney Abugri

The Corpus Christi Catholic Church at Sakumono near Tema has launched its 20th anniversary celebrations with a photo exhibition chronicling the history and growth of the church and explaining the meanings of signs, symbols and regalia used in the Catholic liturgy.

As part of activities planned for the anniversary celebrations members of the congregation of more than 3,000 faithful will be screened for common diseases and health problems such as eye diseases, hypertension, diabetes and high levels of cholesterol.

Medical and health experts will also deliver talks on the early detection, treatment and management of prostate cancer, cervical cancer, spinal disorders, food preparation and preservation and personal hygiene with emphasis on the washing of hands with soap as an inexpensive but effective means of preventing disease and their spread.

The Chairperson of the anniversary Planning Committee, Mrs. Estelle Pauline Tambro says one of the highlights of the celebration will be the church’s hosting of a Charity Day.

“Parishioners will take a day out with the poor, the sick, the elderly and the needy to express the concern of Corpus Christi Church for the welfare of the disadvantaged in the community”, Mrs. Tambro explained.

Members of the congregation will visit some hospitals, the Prisons-Borstal Institute, the Home for Retired Bishops and Priests of the Catholic Church and the Centre for Hope which cares for HIV/AIDS patients.

The history of the Corpus Christi Church at Sakumono dates back to 1989 when the first residents arrived to occupy new housing units constructed by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SNNIT) at Community 13.

Among the pioneer residents was a sizeable number of Catholics. They continued to attend Holy Mass in their previous communities of residence but agreed that there was the need for the establishment of a Catholic church in the new residential community.

The pioneers eventually sent a delegation to meet with the then Catholic Bishop of Accra, Bishop Dominic Kwodwo Andoh to discuss the possibility of starting a new Church community at the Sakumono Estates.

The Bishop gave his consent and the first Catholic community was established at the Sakumono Estates and placed under the pastoral jurisdiction of the Good Shepherd Catholic Church at Tema Community Two.

On the 10th of February 1991, the late Rev, Father Patrick Twi, still fondly remembered by pioneer members of the congregation as much for his pioneering role in the growth of the church as for his interesting surname, celebrated the first Holy Mass with the new church community in a small open yard attached to the SNNIT Estate Manager’s office.

As time went on, Rev. Fr. James Duncan, an Irish priest who saw distinguished service in the Irish Army before his entry into the priesthood, was tasked by the Bishop to take charge of Sunday Masses at the Sakumono church.

The new church community continued to grow and soon found the open yard of the SSNT Estates Manger’s office inadequate for Sunday worship.

A couple in the group, the late Mr. Emmanuel Comla-Otabil and Mrs. Comla-Otabil, allowed the church community the use of their house for the celebration of Holy Mass on Sundays. The community continued to grow and soon the residence of the Otabils was also unable to accommodate the fast growing numbers of worshippers.

The group of Catholic faithful next obtained permission to use the Bethel Nursery School at the Sakumono Estates which had a spacious pavilion, for Sunday worship. Eventually, the group now with hundreds of members, resolved to build a church house.

Then began a spirited search for land to build a church house on: The Tema Development Corporation made land available but there was a catch: The Church pastoral council was told that the Catholic Church would have to share the parcel of land made available by the TDC with three other churches which also needed land to build the church houses. The other three were the Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist churches.

The pastoral council complained that the land was too small for four churches to be built on, whereupon the TDC suggested that lots be drawn by the four churches and two randomly chosen churches share the land available for their building projects.

The Catholic and Presbyterian churches picked the lots for the two available slots and today the two churches stand side by side on the plot of land.

Designed by Lawrence Ayagiba, an architect among the congregation, the Corpus Christi Catholic Church building at the Sakumono Estates turned out to be an architectural marvel in its own right, lending picturesqueness to the landscape in its vicinity. It was dedicated on Saturday the 8th of October, 2005 by the Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev, Charles Palmer Buckle

The Corpus Christi Church formally became a parish in 2005 with the Very Rev Fr Frederick Agyemang as the first Parish Priest. He was assisted by Rev Fr Richard Aziati who was later succeeded by Rev Fr Francis destiny Amenuvor.

Father Agyemang left Ghana on the 6th of September, 2010 for academic study in the USA. He has since been succeeded by Rev Fr Joseph Henry Mensah who assumed duty on the 1st November 2010.

Church records list in chronological order, the following priests who have been in charge of the church in the past 20 years:

Rev Fr Patrick Twi and Rev Fr Seth Anwo-Doqu, 1991-1997, Rev Fr Andrew Campbell, 1998-2000, Rev Fr Peter Baddoo, 2001, Rev Fr Andrew Campbell, 2002-2003, Very Rev Fr Frederick Agyemang, 2003-2010, Rev Fr Joseph Henry Mensah, 2010

Other pastors listed as having served the parish during its pioneering days are Rev Fathers James Duncan, Emmanuel Nartey, Edward Donkor Baine, John Amoah, Edmund Neizer and Francis Asagba who was instrumental in laying most of the church’s structure.

Today, the church which began with a group of 14 enthusiastic Catholics seeking fellowship, can boast of a membership of over 3000. The church has an outstation, the Saint Bakhita Catholic Church at Community 18 which is growing phenomenally..

Significant projects undertaken by the Corpus Christi Church have included the establishment of the Holy Child Basic School, the Corpus Christi Catholic Crèche, Junior and Senior High Schools, which are rated among the best in the Tema metropolis.

A three-storey complex housing a Rectory, seven meeting rooms, a conference hall and offices, has been added to the infrastructure of the church.

Church records pay tribute to the 14 individuals who came together to form the nucleus of the parish one mildly warm morning 20 years ago: Emmanuel Comla-Otabil, Hannah Dankwa-Smith, Stephen Appiah, George Fidelis Dapkallah, Anthony Awortie Dadzie, Edmund C, Ahadome, K. Attah-Karikari and Edem Fiaka.

The rest are Dorothy Asafo, Louis D. Atsiatormey, Rita Saaka, Captain {rtd} Adarkwa-Yiadom, Francis Azamgbiok and Gosper Awen.

PIC: Rev. Father Joseph Henry Mensah, Parish priest of Corpus Christi sprinkling holy water around the anniversary photo exhibition gallery at the opening ceremony.