history

The Gold Coast Mission becomes an APOSTOLIC VICARIATE

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After twenty years of self-sacrificing hard work (from 1880 to 1900, thirty priests and nuns had died) there were four residential stations (Elmina, Cape Coast, Keta and Saltpond), with a Catholic population of 4905. in appreciation this missionary zeal and hard work, the Holy See elevated the Prefecture Apostolic, which the Gold Coast mission had been, to an Apostolic Vicariate of the Gold Coast. Thus, the mission would now be administered on behalf of the Holy Father by a Bishop, who would be the head of mission. This was Fr. Maximilian Albert; and so, on May 12, 1901, he was consecrated the first Bishop of the Gold Coast.

Bishop Isidore Klaus (2 nd Apostolic Vicar) & the Railway Line Missions

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In November 1904, Fr. Isidore Klaus arrived from Nigeria to succeed to Bishop Albert as Apostolic Vicar and head of mission. Although his ministry was short, only one year, it was eventful.

Sekondi was a harbour town; and the completion of the railway link between Sekondi and Kumasi made Sekondi an important trading centre, which attracted peoples from all over the Gold Coast. Settlers from Elmina had already started a community, which the priests from Cape Coast used to visit for baptisms, confessions and masses. For their meetings, St. Paul's hill was acquired, and two settlers from Elmina, Mr. J.E. Andoh and Mr. W.F. Laast, helped raise funds to build a chapel-school. When it was ready, Bishop Klaus went to bless it and to promise them resident priests. This was in 1905.

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson

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""Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, a former Archbishop of Cape Coast (Ghana), was born on 11 October 1948 in Wassaw Nsuta, Ghana. He was ordained for the Diocese of Cape Coast on 20 July 1975 and holds a doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome.

 
From 1975-1976 and 1980-1981 he served as staff member at St Theresa’s Minor Seminary, and from 1981-1987 as staff member at St Peter’s Major Seminary. 
 
On 6 October 1992 he was appointed Archbishop of Cape Coast and was ordained on 27 March 1993.
He served as President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (1997-2005) and member of the Pontifical Commission for Methodist-Catholic Dialogue; Chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana; member of the National Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environment; member of the Board of Directors of the Central Regional Development Committee and treasurer of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
Created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the Consistory of 21 October 2003, of the Title of S. Liborio (St. Liborius).
 
Member of:
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; 
Pontifical Councils: for Promoting Christian Unity; for Justice and Peace;
Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church.

SVD Fathers in Accra

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Two SMA Fathers had been taking care of Accra since 1926, but it required more hands and greater presence. Its mixed population of different tribes and languages called for specialized ministries. Therefore, in 1939, the SMA Fathers ceded the pastoral care of Accra to the SVD Fathers, Accra, with its principal stations of Koforidua, Nsawam and Akim Swedru, and their outstations were entrusted to the American SVD Fathers.