Name of Parish: St. Anthony’s Cathedral
Location: Goaso
Name of Priest: Rev. Fr. Theophilus Akyeampong Pepra - Administrator, Frs. Emmanuel Adu Boateng (Associate), Lawrence Adu-Gyamfi (Pastoral Assistant)
Outstations: Asuadae, Kamirekrom, Nyamebekyere, Yakrakrom, Dechem.
Contacts: Box 162, Goaso. Tel. 035 - 2091812, 2091813, 2091814
HISTORY OF ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHEDRAL - GOASO
The Catholic Church in Goaso was started in the early 1920’s by Opanin Kwasi Kumah who hailed from Boadi in Ashanti Region. He was assisted in the early years by Boniface Kwabena Donkor, Joseph Kofi Minka, Kwame Poku, Thomas Kwame Nsiah, Elizabeth Mansa and others. The first Priest to visit the Church was Fr. G. Fisher who was resident at Berekum. The visit is believed to have taken place around 1926. Father used to trek as far as Norbekaw where the Catholic faith in the Parish was first planted.
A shed was erected near the former Police barrier close to the cemetery to accommodate the members during church services. The first baptism took place on 1st January, 1934. The two candidates presented for baptism were Joseph Kofi Minka and Thomas Kwame Nsiah. They were baptized by Fr. H. Monde who used to trek to Goaso from Bechem. During these early years, the Church was not making much progress. The church members were few and not very active.
In early 1936, John Emmanuel Aidoo, a produce purchasing clerk arrived in Goaso from Yabe in Ashanti Region. He, being a strong and active Catholic re-organized the Church using a room in his family House Number B.11 as a chapel, since the shed which had been previously erected as a chapel had collapsed. The house is still standing.
The church began to grow after J.E Aidoo’s involvement. The first baptism after the re-organization took place on May 13th 1936, during which a good number of people were baptized to become the founding members of the church. Among those baptized on that day were Albert Kwaku Addae, John Kunkuma, Francis Donkor, Nicholas Kwaku Nyame, Gabriel Kwame Gyamfi, Mary Fordjour No.1 and Agnes Anane Gyamfi. They were baptized by Fr. Monde.
In 1937, Fr. I. Pietersma was the visiting Priest from Bechem. At the same time, I. J. Owusu Mensah was appointed local catechist. Later, Anthony Kyenkyehene, a staunch member of the Methodist, joined the Catholic Church. Both men made significant contributions towards the growth of the church. As time went on, a new church building was constructed to accommodate the increasing number of people. Bishop Joseph Hubert Paulissen of Kumasi officially dedicated the building.
Fr. Pas succeeded Fr. Pietersma. During this period an appeal was made to Bishop Paulissen for a resident Priest. Bishop Paulissen was anxious to develop the church and appointed Fr.Van de Leew to Goaso as a resident Priest in 1943. Fr. Leew is remembered by all for the hard work he put in trying to build the church in Goaso. He was assisted by Mr. Jersey as catechist. Jersey was very interested in Education and therefore wanted to open a primary school. With the help of Fr. Leew and the active support of the church executives, the Roman Catholic Primary and Middle Schools were opened in 1945. Fr. Leew was recalled to Kumasi in 1947. It is significant to note that during those early years of the church’s formation, the priests used to go on trek with the young people among the founding members carrying their baggage from one town to another on foot.
Paul Acquah succeeded J. E. Aidoo as Church President. The next visiting priest was Fr. Van Gastel. He was succeeded by Fr. Van De Laar. The membership of the church continued to grow, resulting in the need to build a new spacious building. They were very much impressed with the structure of the then Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra. Ignatius John Owusu Mensah and Anthony Kyenkyehene were therefore sent to Accra for the plan which they adopted with some modifications. Fr. Robert Akoi was the then Parish Priest of Mim assisted by Fr. James Kwadwo Owusu who later became the bishop of Sunyani [1973]. In the following years, they struggled to make progress with the building.
Fr. Robert Akoi left and Fr. James Van Swieten (SMA) took over as Parish Priest of Mim in the early Sixties. It should be noted that Goaso was under Mim parish at this time in history. He helped in plastering and roofing the Goaso church building. He made many changes in the building plan.
In 1961, Peter Kofi Owusu arrived in Goaso as head teacher of the R/C Middle School. He was made the local catechist and contributed greatly to the work on the church building by mobilizing the people to work on it from time to time. He also helped in the spiritual upliftment of the people. At that time, John Amanfo was the Church President. He died on Saturday 24th August, 1974. Fr. Michael De Graft came in to spend two years as Parish Priest of Mim. Fr. Maclean McCarthy, SMA, took over as Parish Priest with Fr. Vincent Glennon, SMA as his assistant. Fr. McCarthy, SMA left for home and Fr. Vincent took over as Parish Priest of Mim.
On 1st February, 1976, the foundation stone of the church building was laid and blessed by Rt. Rev. James Kwadwo Owusu, Bishop of Sunyani. I. J. Owusu Mensah was the church president at the time. During this period, Anthony Obiri Yeboah, headteacher of the R/C ‘B’ Middle School, a teacher/catechist and a member of the church committee played a significant role in the spiritual and material growth of the church. Other teachers of the R/C Schools who played major roles in the church were George Afreh, Michael Nketia and Samuel Brenya. They conducted the Sunday services without the priests and did the interpretation for the extern priests when they visited Goaso church. Godfred Asante, parish catechist first stationed at Mim and later at Kukuom, visited Goaso and the other outstations and made a lot of contributions to the growth of the church.
In 1978, when Peter Kofi Owusu moved from the mission house to Goaso Low Cost residence upon his promotion and appointment at the District Education Office, Andrew Baawuah was appointed the local catechist on 2nd June, 1978 by Fr. Vincent Glennon SMA. S. K. Affum became church president when elections were held on 22nd July, 1979. During this period, Fr. Patrick Lynch SMA was posted to Mim as assistant priest and became the resident priest of Goaso in the early part of 1980. Goaso then became a Quasi–Parish. He was supported and assisted greatly by the Parish Laity Council under the chairmanship of Lawrence Agyare, Anthony Obiri–Yeboah and John Bediako Asare of Akrodie.
The following Priests worked under Fr. Patrick Lynch as associates in succession: Fr. George Donkor Tang, Fr. Dominic Asuahene and Fr. William Aguzey. On 25th January, 1987, Goaso was raised to the status of a Parish by His Lordship, Rt. Rev. James Kwadwo Owusu, with Fr. Patrick Lynch, S.M.A as the first Parish Priest. Godfred Asante, the Senior Parish Catechist of Mim, stationed at Kukuom became the first Parish Catechist of the new Goaso Parish, and retired in 1990. Gabriel Kwasi Kankam succeeded S. K. Affum as church president and passed away in 1989.
In 1995, Fr. Patrick Lynch SMA, was transferred to Mim as Parish Priest and Fr. Denis Ryan SMA, took over. He was later transferred to Sankore as resident priest in charge of the newly created Sankore quasi–parish in September of the same year. Fathers Stephen Danso and Gaspard Dery took over the administration of the parish. In July 1996, the two priests were transferred and Fr. Augustine Owusu -Addo and Fr. Nicholas Afriyie took over. On June 22nd 1997, Andrew Baawuah was appointed and vested as the parish catechist for Goaso.
On 8th November, 1997 at 11:00am, local time, an announcement was made to elevate Goaso to the status of Diocese by His Holiness Pope John Paul II, with Msgr. Peter Kwaku Atuahene as the first Bishop. It was carved out from Archdiocese of Kumasi and Sunyani Diocese. Fr. Nicholas Afriyie was appointed the first Cathedral Administrator with Fr. Matthew Kumi as the associate.
In the year 2000, Fr. Benjamin Poku Donkor took over as Cathedral Administrator. He was transferred to Bechem and was replaced by Fr. Augustine Nsiah Asante in November 2003. Msgr. Anthony Boahen Kyereme took over as cathedral administrator from November, 2006 till February 2021. He worked with the following priests as assistants: Joseph Donkor, Anthony Gyamerah, Theotimus Gyamfi Bonsu, Charles Boampong Sarfo, John William Fynn [fidei donum from Archdiocese of Cape Coast]. Francis Kottekarotte (CMI), Elisha Manu, Clement Badu Kyeremeh, John Jomat CMI, Jonas Opoku Gyamfi, and Dominic Owusu Afriyie.
Parish priests from 1987 to 1997 were Frs: Patrick Lynch, S.M.A, Denis Ryan, S.M.A, Stephen Danso, Augustine Owusu-Addo.
Cathedral Administrators from 1998 – 2023: Fr. Nicholas Afriyie (1998 – 2000), Msgr. Benjamin Poku Donkor (2000 – 2003), Fr. Augustine Nsiah Asante (2003– 2006), Msgr. Anthony Boahen Kyeremeh (2006 – 2021), Fr. Isaac Adjei- Aniwah (2021- 2024) Fr. Theophilus Akyeampong Pepra (2025 till date)
The following Priests also served in Goaso Parish as Associates and Priests in Residence: Frs. Joseph Ameyaw Badu, Emmanuel Gyansa Tabi, Matthew Kumi, Benard Obeng Gyamfi, Christopher Kwakye, Augustine Asare Addai, George Obeng Yeboah Asuamah, Felix Twumasi, Rudolf Twumasi Ankrah Sylvester Baffour Awuah, Anthony Tweneboah, Gaspard Dery, Emmanuel Adu-Boateng and Lawrence Adu-Gyamfi.
Church presidents from 1936 to 2023: Emmanuel John Aidoo, Paul Acquah, John Amanfo, Ignatius John Owusu Mensah, S. K. Affum, Gabriel Kankam, Stephen Amponsah, John Douglas Gyamfi, Albert K. Addai, John Douglas Gyamfi, Peter Boahene, Dora Nyarko, Anthony K. Obiri Yeboah, Peter Boahene (Second Term)
Since the creation of the diocese, the following parishes have been carved out of the Cathedral Parish: Sankore, Kukuom, Ayomso, Akrodie and St. Peter’s Parish in Goaso.
The Cathedral parish now has five outstations which include: Asuadae, Kamirekrom, Nyamebekyere, Yakrakrom, Dechem.