INTRODUCTION
Around 192 when the Easter line of the railway line (Achiase-Kotoko-Kuni Valley Line). Was constructed, people from many parts of our country-Ghana were attracted to these areas, one of them being Kade, for jobs.
Some of these migrants who were already baptized, around 1929 thought of and planned of sowing the SEED of Catholicism in the soil at Kade. Mr. John Afful popularly known as AgyaAfful (half Fanti, born at Abakrampa and half Akyem –with Subi as his ancestral home), Mr. BBiney (fanti) AgyaBoateng (Bomfa-in Ashanti Region) Mr. KwabenaArhin (Fanti, who was the first church bell man), meet and planned about founding the church.
HUMBLE BEGINNING
The beginning of our Church was in RAFFIA WOODS (Tonton) building with thatch roofings. This church building was erected at the place today is known as ETHIOPIA (where Mr. Darkwa has built his house) just by the main road and few meters adjacent to the Ghana Commercial Bank building. Here, we were under Akyem Swedru parish which was under the Archdiocese of Cape Coast.
Some of the first indigenes who joined the church to erect the building were KwabenaAgyei, KwadwoKuma, AbenaAnokyewaa, AkuaSarpomaa, Henry Kuma, Kwame Owusu, Gabriel Dwira, Kwaben Adarkwa, John Kwesi Tinyase, Kwabena Nketia, Acheampong and Joseph Appiah Kuma people who came after the erection of the first church building included:
Opanyin fenteng (a.k.a Kofi Agyenkwa)
Kwasi Danso
Kwasi Ankama
Kwabena Atta
Kwasi Atwereboama
Kwasi Atwereboama and kwabena Atta were the First mass Servers when the Priest used to come to Kade from Saltpond and Akyem Swedru.
Some women pioneers included:
Maame Yaa Deede
Maame Yaa Dede (Margaret Agyenkwa No.1)
Monica Korkor
Yaa Kyeraa (Elizabeth Amaning)
Yaa Agyeiwaa
Yaa Mpomaa
Ataa Akoto
Yaa Amponsah and Abena Kuma
Agya Afful doubed as the church president and the catechist
THE SEED TAKES ROOT
As the population grew and the size of the wooden structure could not contain them, they started looking for a bigger place.
Mr. Sackey (whose wife Josephine Wilson was a Catholic) gave his cocoa shed built of woods and aluminium roofing sheets to them as the next place of worship.
It is said that, it was here that, the first baptism took place-9th April 1940; the first Candidates were Eleven (11) in number. Anthony Kofi Antwi, George Kofi Dapaa, John Kwesi Tinyaase, Peter Kwasi Gyan, Paul Kwesi Danso, Joseph Kwame Owusu, James Yaw Antwi, Nicodemus Kwasi Braku, Henry Kwadwo Kuma, Mary Nkrumah and Agnes Abena Benewa and the Priest who administered the sacrament was Rev. Fr. J. Lemmens.
On 20th October 1940, in this same church (cocoa shed), Archbishop William Thomas Porter administered the first sacrament of confirmation in Kade to 22 candidates. The congregation this time called for a permanent site and structure.
THE BRICKS CHURCH
The moved to the site which was formerly known as BLOCK HOUSE; this is because, this structure was built with BRICKS and painted with BLACK paint. This building was built between the present Presbyterian Church Catechist’s house and YAF Communication centre.
It was in this church building (Black House) that the Catholic School started in January 1945. In 1950 around Easter season, a strong storm brought this building down. Reverend Father Michael Carew advised that a permanent site should be looked for church and the school buildings respectively.
Priests coming from Akyem Swedru were Frs. J. Lemmens, J.O. Bowers, J. Daupohine, J. Hodapp, A.A. Noser, B.S. Mensah, Michael Carew, Otto Walters and Paul Van Riel.
THE CONSOLIDATION
Fr. Michael Carew together with Agya Afful, Anthony Kofi Antwi and Henry Kumah went to see the then Kadehene – Barima Appiawia, where the present land we are today occupying was given to the church which shares boundary with SACKEY’S SAWMILLS, now the OFORI SAWMILLS.
The new and permanent church building stared in 1951 during the major farming season. It is said Fr. Walters who was then the Priest in charge coming from labor from Akyem Swedru would go to their farms and call them for communal labor which was painful, but miracle happened at harvest time when they gave testimony that, the bumper harvest was beyond description.
It must also be recorded that the then chief of Subi who was a Catholic gave them the “go ahead” to freely take sand from the right hand side from Subi – Abodom road where now there is a palm plantation.
On 11th February 1952, Bishop Adolf Noser, Bishop of Accra Diocese (as Accra Diocese had been carved) came to Kade with the Train from Accra at exactly 9:30am to dedicate the new church building. The Catechist who was the Bishop’s interpreter was Agya Afful.
In 1960, according to Akwatia Diamond Jubilee Brochure when Rev. Fr. Pascal Lobianco was the Parish Priest of Akwatia, Kade came under Akwatia Parish. Rev. Fathers Lobianco and Fred Hahn (both SVD Priests) were coming from Akwatia to Kade. Other Priests who took charge of Kade coming from Akwatia were Rev. Frs. T.Addy, G. Beleslaw, SVD and Patrick Ofori SVD.
RESIDENT PRIESTS
In January 1975, Rev. Fr. John Schilitz, SVD, was appointed the first resident priest at Kade.
1984 – 1984 – Fr. Marek Dabrowski, SVD
1984 – 1986 – Fr. Jerry Del Pinado, SVD
1987 – Fr. Arturo Obmaces, SVD
The first Diocesan Priest made Parish priest was Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Baiden Ammissah (30th January 1988 – 30th September 1989). In October 1989, the then Bishop Dominic Ando (Archbishop Emeritus who passed to eternity of Friday 17th may 2013) appointed Rev. Fr. Charles Boniface Ahenkorah as the next Parish Priest.
On 21 November 1992 when Koforidua Diocese was carved from the Archdiocese of Accra, Most Rev. Charles Gabriel palmer Buckle, the first Bishop, appointed Fr. C.B. Ahenkorah as his first secretary in 1993. Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ofori Adamtey was made the Parish Priest from November 1993 to September 2001.
From October, 2001 – October 2004 Rev. Fr. Isaac Anthony was appointed as the new Parish Priest. On 1st October 2002 Fr. Emmanuel Djan Adarkwa was appointed as the Parochial Vicar. Very Rev. Fr. Charles Felix Davordzi was appointed as the new Parish Priest in October 2004.
In 2006 when Fr. Felix Davordzi went for studies, Fr. Adarkwa was made the Priest in Charge till October 2008.
On 1st October 2008, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah- Agyekum, the Bishop of the Diocese appointed Fr. Ebenezer Amo-Oduro as the new Parish Priest. In October 2010, Fr. Moses Huadji was appointed the Parochial Vicar to Kade. In November 2012, Fr. Moses Huadji was transferred to Akrofufu while Fr. Frank Teye Addey was made the Parochial Vicar at Kade.
SOCIETIES
The Mass Servers association dates as far back as 1940. The next society to be formed in the church was the Singing Band under the leadership of Mr. Fosu from Akyem Swedru assisted by Messers Daniel K. Asomaning and Attom. The church choir was formed I in 1968 under the leadership of a trained teacher, Mr. Tenkorang. Mr. Diego, a timber contactor at Kade, bought them their first choir robes which were dedicated on 24th June, 1974 by Mesdames Anna Nortey and Monica Manuel (both from Akwatia) and elected Mrs. Felicia Agyei as the first president.
The C.Y.O was formed by a Railways worker Mr. Aggrey in 1975. Sacred Heart was formed in 1975.
St. Anthony’s Guild was formed by Brother Kyem from Akwatia. Charismatic Renewal was formed in 1991 under the leadership of Mr. John Anyan. On 10th September, 2005, Saint Theresa of the child Jesus was inaugurated under the leadership of Mrs. Florence Ofori.
Men’s society was formed on February, 2006 by Mr. Korankye from Akwatia. Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Djan Adarkwa in 2007 formed the Junior Church Choir under the leadership of Mr. Raymond Larnyo. On 11th November, 2012, Saint Catherine Commandery of Knight and ladies Auxiliary of Saint John International were inaugurated. We have Saint Philomena Society at Asuom in Addition. Some of these societies are found in most of the stations.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The church which began with four (4) people, today, by God’s grace can boast of 13 stations and over one thousand (1000) parishioners, seven (7) basic schools and 4 major seminarians.
PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS
For the first time in our history, twenty (Catholics from our parish in 2012 and 2013 came out of Mount Mary College of Education as professional teachers.
We are grateful to the Ghana Education Service in Kwaebibirem District who posted seven of the 2012 teachers to four of our parish schools.
STATIONS WITHIN THE PARISH AND YEAR OF ESTABLISHESMENT
NAMES
YEAR
SAINT CATHERINE (KADE)
1939
SACRED HEART OF JESUS (ABODOM)
1962
SAINT THERESAH OF THE CHILD JESUS (ADANKRONO)
1964
SAINT PAUL (ANWEAM)
1957
SAINT AGATHA (DARMANG)
1955
SAINT TERESA OF AVILA (NKWANTANANG)
1969
SAINT JOHN THE APOSTLE(OTUMI)
1975
SAINT AUGUSTINE (PRAMKESE)
1956
SAINT ANTHONY (TAKROWASE)
1958
SAINT ANDREW (KUSI)
1991
SAINT THOMAS (OKUMANING TOWN)
SAINT PATRICK (OKUMANING CAMP)
1982
SAINT ANGELA (TWUMWUSU)
2002
OUR SCHOOLS
We boast in the Lord that as early as the churches in the Parishes were formed, Elementary, now basic schools, were started. Some even started in the church building. There are seven (7) Basic schools and the first to establish was at Kade in January 1945, where the pioneers were three (3); two (2) boys and one (1) girl namely;
1. Augustine Nuama
2. Augustine Nuamah
3. Mary Warewaa (Afia Kade)
1. Kade has both Primary and J.H.S. Kade’s first batch of middle leavers was in 1960.
2. Adankrono has only a Primary school. This school was established in 1962 with Mr. Amoah as the first head teacher.
3. Pramkese has primary and J.H.S. The school was established in 1973 with nine (9) pupils with Catechist Joseph Agyei sacrificing as the first teacher. The first head teacher was the late Mr. E.A. Ampadu, who later became a teacher at Suhum Secondary Technical School and excelled in the Koforidua Diocesan C.Y.O set up.
4. Abodom Primary school was started in 1984 with twelve (12) pupils by the late Mr. Kennedy Korankye. Today it has a J.H.S.
5. Anweam was established in 1965, the head teacher was Mr. Kwame Anane. Anweam has a J.H.S.
6. Nkwantanang has Primary and J.H.S.
7. Takrowase has Primary and J.H.S.
CATECHISTS
1. 1962-1967 Mr. Manu & Mr. Augustine Nuamah
2. 1967 – 1971 Mr. GodfredAgyei
3. 1971 – 1977 Mr. Appiagyei (Fulltime)
4. 1977 –2000 Mr. Philip Akaadom. He was assisted by Mr. Edward Annor.
Just one year after the 75thAnniversary celebration of the establishment of the church, a second church has been established in Kade Township known as Holy Family Catholic Church.
