OUR LADY OF LOURDES QUASI PARISH, AKYEM AKROSO
NAME OF THE PARISH: OUR LADY OF LOURDES QUASI PARISH, AKYEM AKROSO
PRIEST(s) WORKING IN THE PARISH: Rev. Fr. James Buah-Nkwantabisa (0243612723)
POLITICAL DISTRICTS: ASENE-MANSO-AKROSO AND AKYEM ACHIASE.
MASS SCHEDULES:
Sunday – 7 .00am
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday- 6.00am
Thursday- 7.00pm
NAMES OF STATIONS
MAIN STATION: OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHOLIC CHURCH, AKROSO (ESTABLISHED ON 1ST OCTOBER 2013)
OUTSTATIONS:
ST. MARY – ASUBOA
ST. MICHAEL- MANSO
ST. AUGUSTINE- AMANTEM NKWANTA
ST. JUDE- ANAMASE
ST. LEOPOLD- AHYIAEM
ST. ANTHONY-BANTAMA
ST. JOSEPH- ASUOSO
ST. ANDREW- APROKUMASI
ST. PHILIP - KOKOBENG
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PARISH
The church started with a humble beginning in the year 1930 under the chairmanship of the late Mr. Barden who hailed from Konongo in the Ashanti Region. The late Barden got married to a royal of Akroso stool by name Maame Yaa Sah. It was in the house of Mr. Barden at Attakwasi (a suburb of Akroso) that the church began. Those who started the Catholic at Attakwasi were; Mr. & Mrs, Barden, Opanin Yaw Mensah, Opanin Yaw Owusu, Abrukua, Atta Quaye and some natives from Upper East region. This prompted the people of the town to describe the church as’ Dagaatifo Asore’(the church of Dagaabas).
The venue for church services changed from Attakwasi to Opanin Kwame Baah’s house which was close to a palm wine bar, hence the name of the area ‘Nsa dwa ase’. This tag caused the relocation of church services to the porch of Opanin Kwame Baah. So, the house of this man became the church and Mission House for any priest who visited.
When the number of the congregation began to increase, they moved into a church building. This church building was named after St. Peter Claver. The Altar in the church was closely attached to the wall, since it was in the days of Vatican I. All this while the church was under Akyem Swedru Parish. It was after Vatican II, that the Akyem Oda Parish was created to take over the care of the church of Akyem Akroso by the then Bishop A.A. Noser who was at Cape Coast
In 1952, a permanent Catechist was appointed to take care of both the Catholic Church and the newly opened school. In fact, the establishment of the school really contributed tremendously to the growth of the church.
Rev. Fr. Francis Beemsterbauer, SVD, helped the congregation to move from the old church building to the current one when the capacity of the former could not contain the large number of the Catholics. The new church building is named, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
