The Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in Bolgatanga has launched its 100th anniversary celebration, marking a significant milestone in the history of Catholicism in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
The Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, Catholic Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, who delivered a homily at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in Bolgatanga recounts the rich history of the church and its journey over the past century.
He recounted how the White Fathers, also known as the Missionaries of Africa, embarked on a mission to evangelize the northern territories of the Gold Coast, now Ghana, in the early 20th century.
According to Bishop Agyenta’s historical account, the White Fathers first arrived in Navrongo in 1906, laying the foundation for Catholicism in the Upper East region.Nineteen years later, in February 1925, he said the White Fathers their sights on expanding their mission eastwards to Nangodi and Bolgatanga.
Upon arrival at Nangodi, Bishop Agyenta stated that they were enamored by the scenic land, particularly, the Red Volta, and the hospitality of the chief, who expressed a keen desire to have the missionaries settle in the area.
However, despite the allure of Nangodi, he said the missionaries observed the relatively small population and limited infrastructure, prompting them to return to Bolgatanga on 4th February 1925.
“They realize that Bolga here, had more population and it looked like, this was a place where God was asking them to begin the evangelization of the Gurune speaking people. And that’s why eventually they started here in 1925”, Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta indicated.
Even though they were amazed by the serene environment, the Bishop said they were afraid that the people were very much entrenched and very much involved in the traditional religion.
“And I’m sure they must have been very much scared when they saw around the villages and in the houses the big shrines of the ancestral shrines where the people were sacrificed. And I’m sure some of them used to see them around. I’m sure at that time they were even bigger. And so, they must have been frightened and said, are we going to convert these people? Because they seem to have been very much entrenched and very much involved in the traditional religion. That’s one of the reasons why they decided to entrust the parish to the Sacred Heart”, he indicated.
100 years down the line, the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in Bolgatanga has given birth to 8 parishes across the Upper East and North East regions. These include Our Lady, Queen of Africa (OLA) Parish-Bolgatanga, St Anne’ Parish-Bongo, St Joseph’s Parish Bolgatanga-Soe, St. Theresa’s Parish-Tongo, St Paul’s Parish-Walewale, St Martin’s de Pores Parish-Zuarungu, St Francis of Assisi Retorate-Sumbrungu, and St Theresa’s Rectorate, Zorko (Born out of St Anne’s Parish, Bongo).
Activities for the year-long celebration include seminars, prison visitation, tree planting and sanitation exercises, mass weddings, and blood donation, with a climax on 28th June 2025.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
