NAME OF ORGANIZATION:
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Society
Numerical Strength:
814 members
Aims and Objectives:
The basic aim of the society is to bring together all catholic women in Ghana and other parts of the world both communicants and non-communicants.
To obtain and maintain personal sanctification and advancement in spiritual life by following the footsteps of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in her little ways of spiritual childhood.
To promote vocation and to aid in the sponsoring and maintenance of seminarians and aspirants.
To pray for vocation and for missionaries
To assist Parish Priest, Religious and the entire Roman Catholic Church wherever, whenever and however possible for the greater glory of GOD.
To empower our women with skills through regular training programmes.
Mission and Vision Statements:
To bring together all catholic women both communicants and non-communicants; to contribute to the progress of the Church and more importantly assist them to lead good Christian ways of life through prayers and traditional Christian practices.
Vision
To become a society of choice for all catholic women that members are proud to associate with and can confidently refer to other church members for their spiritual and material growth and total emancipation.
CURRENT LEADERSHIP AND THEIR CONTACTS
NO |
NAMES |
POSITIONS |
BRANCHES |
CONTACT |
1 |
Very Rev. Fr. Ebenezer KennethAbban |
Spiritual Director |
St. Dominic Hospital Akwatia |
024 664 7025 |
2 |
Opanin Victoria Assan |
President |
Akosombo |
0242628674 |
3 |
Opanin Grace Senanu Amevin |
Vice President |
Suhum |
0243272915 |
4 |
Opanin Patience Bedzo |
Secretary |
Nsawam |
0244152766 |
5 |
Opanin Constance Asare |
Vice Secretary |
Oda, All Saints |
0244842093 |
6 |
Opanin Gladys Owusu Antwi |
Financial Secretary |
Effiduase |
0244097725 |
7 |
Opanin Margaret Marfo Appiah |
Treasurer |
Oda, Our lady of Fatima |
0242036594 |
8 |
Opanin Mercy Tufour |
Chaplain |
Akim Swedru |
0542672104 |
9 |
Opanin Francis Peri |
Organizer |
Ntronang |
0241275432 |
10 |
Opanin Margaret Asamoah |
Vice Organizer |
Kade |
0242704512 |
11 |
Opanin Stella Homuame |
Porter |
Akwatia |
0244469699 |
12 |
Opanin Paulina Lartey |
Vice porter |
Effiduase |
0205095951 |
13 |
Opanin Victoria Fareyson |
Past President |
Adoagyiri |
0244132290 |
Parishes where the organization exist.
Adeiso
Adoagyiri
Adweso
Akim Swedru
Akosombo
Agomanya
Akwatia
Akuse
All saints
Asamankese
Asokore
Asuom
Bososu
Effiduase
Kade
Kibi
Mampong Akuapim
Mpraeso
New Abrim
New Tafo
Nkawkaw
Nsawam
Ntronang
Ofoase
Our lady of Fatima
Pepease
Saint George Koforidua
Somanya
Suhum
Brief History
St. Theresa of the child Jesus Society was formed in 1964 at St. Peter’s Cathedral Parish in the Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana as a result of the visionary leadership of Madam Margaret Afful.
She observed at the time that, there was no women society in the Parish. As a result, women participation in the parish activities was very abysmal. She therefore shared this idea of forming an all-female society with a handful of men with some friends and this marks the beginning of the society in Ghana. Through one of her friends Mrs. Anna Oduro’s dedicated work their meeting started in her residence at Fante Newtown. Rev. Fr. Tsiquaye was also consulted to give them spiritual direction and it was through his instrumentality that the society was named “St. Theresa of the Child Jesus” with service to GOD and Mankind as its Motto.
In the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua, the Society was introduced by Monsignor Sylvester Kwasi Agyapong, in 1991, when he was the parish priest of St. Michael Catholic Church, Nkwakaw.
According to him, there were a lot of women at his parish who could be very useful to the development of the church. These women were however not organized and thus dormant in the development agenda of the parish.
He therefore invited the leadership of St. Theresa of the child Jesus society from Kumasi to visit and introduce the society to his parishioners. Through his effort, the first St. Theresa of the child Jesus society in the Koforidua Diocese was inaugurated at Nkwakaw in 1991.
After the society had grown in numbers there was the need to have a Diocesan Council. So, the council was inaugurated on Saturday 21st May, 2009 after a three day congress which started from 20th to Sunday 22nd May 2005 at the St. George Cathedral, Koforidua. This Congress ended with the election of Opanyin Many Boakye as the first Diocesan President.
Monsignor Sylvester Kwasi Agyapong worked tirelessly as the Spiritual Director for all these years until his retirement in 2017 when the Bishop on 22nd October, 2017 appointed Very Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Kenneth Abban, the hospital administration of St. Dominic Hospital, Akwatia as the second and current Spiritual Director.