BRIEF HISTORY OF ST. BAKHITA CATHOLIC CHURCH OLD ESTATES KOFORIDUA
The idea of building a new church to the glory of God for the Nsukwao/Old Estates Catholic Community was conceived by the then Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer Buckle. Two contiguous plots of land which were owned by the Knights and Ladies of Marshall and the late Dr. W. N. Bentil were donated for the project. For this, much credit should be given to them for their contribution to the building of this church.
Before the actual construction started in November 1999, Very Reverend Father Francis Twum-Barimah the then Cathedral Administrator, appointed a committee comprising Messers James Cudjo Ahiale, the architect, Joseph Tsibu-Gyan the quantity surveyor, Samuel Teddy Tetteh, Stephen Asante-Ansong Lawyer, Joachim Bedjabeng the then Cathedral President among others, to supervise the work.
The project was executed under “cost plus fixed fee” method which means that the church purchased all the materials and contracted Elikem Construction Company managed by Mr. Elias Gbetanu to undertake the physical building.
It bears emphasis that Messers Ahiale and Tsibu-Gyan supervised the contractors work gratuitously from the beginning to the end. An invaluable debt of gratitude owed to the congregations of St. George Cathedral Koforidua for contributing a substantial portion of the money used to support the project. Nor can the history about the coming into existence of St. Bakhita church be fully narrated without a passing acknowledgement of the immense contribution of Mr. Joseph KwesiOkyere (ANTARTIC) who supplied all the Louvre blades for the windows in the church.
Equally, what also needs to be stressed is the self help spirit of the young congregation of St. Bakhita Catholic Church which manifested in the window’s mite contributions individuals made towards the buying of the pews and other items for the church.
Significantly, the first Bishop of the Diocese said the first Holy Mass in the church during the first synod of the Diocese on 9th February, 2003. However, for the present congregation, it was very Rev. Fr. Andrew Dunyo who said the inaugural Holy Mass on 27th April 2003 in the church.
From 2003 to date when the church has been in existence, spiritual development of the congregation has been made possible by particularly Very Rev. Fr. Francis Twum Barimah, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Aggrey, Very Rev. Fr. Charles Pokoo, Very Rev. Fr. Andy Dunyo, Rev. Fr. Justin Mensah and Rev. Fr. Foster Asiamah.
Happily, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, the incumbent Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese for the first time appointed Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Aggrey as the substantive priest for the church, Rev. Fr. Derrick Mawuli the secretary to the Bishop assists him.
We are grateful to God for the progress of the church which is consistent with the life of our patron Saint Josephine Bakhita who rose from humble and trying circumstances into sainthood.
MASS SCHEDULE
Sunday Mass: 8:30am
Monday: Prayer Meeting @ 7:00pm
Morning Mass: Tuesday & Thursday @ 6:15 am
Evening Mass: Wednesday & Friday @ 7:00pm
Parish Priest Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Quainoo Aggrey & Rev. Fr. Prince Horsu (Parochial Vicar)
