ST. MARY’S KOLUEDOR AT 50

Preamble
A piece of history was made on Saturday September 25th, 2010 as the Catholic community of St. Mary’s Koluedor, in the Archdiocese of Accra rolled out the drums to climax her week-long 50th anniversary celebration. The Koluedor mission is at once the latest outreach of the Claretians in Ghana and our first ever missionary collaboration with the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra. The lines that follow intend to capture in concise terms the nature, challenges and prospects of this mission, as Catholics mark 50 years of Catholic presence.

Koluedor, a town across the Volta River
Koluedor, a Dangme speaking community of the Ada clan lies 83 km East of Accra, and some 110 km west of Aflao, the border town Ghana and Togo. The small town with an estimated population of about 2000 spans a total land area of about two square kilometers. The indigenes of Koluedor, who make up nearly 100% of the population, live on farming and salt mining. Their seasonal farming which mainly comprises tomato and pepper cultivation is augmented in the dry season by a crude and rigorous process of salt mining from a lagoon of the Atlantic Ocean which lies some 8 km south of the town. Catholics resident in the town number about 120. Other Churches in this small town include: Ghana Apostolic Church, Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Assemblies of God church, Church of Pentecost, International Baptist Church of Ghana, United Pentecostal church, Divine Healers Church and Ajaguolaja Gospel Faith Church. Islam also competes favorably for adherents in the town.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Claretian Presence
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, which until a year ago had been an outstation of St. Peter Claver rectorate Ada-Foah, was established in 1960 after several attempts at evangelization were made from 1944. The name St. Mary’s was derived from the name of the first 82 pioneer Catholic convert to be baptized on August 15, 1960, namely Mary.

Owing to its prolonged outstation status, St. Mary’s Koluedor did not enjoy a sustained pastoral presence of resident priests until recently. Fr. Callistus Emenyonu, CMF, the pioneer Claretian Missionary in the Archdiocese of Accra was posted to Koluedor in 2008, upon his transfer to the diocese of Sunyani, Frs. Japhet Obieloka, CMF and Jude Anyanwu, CMF moved into the Koluedor mission.

Challenges and Prospects

1. Delineation of Jurisdiction
St. Mary’s Koluedor has just been named a Rectorate, which means that the Church community has resident priests now. For now, St. Mary’s has no outstations yet the Claretians still supply for Sunday Masses in distant outstations of the Mother-Rectorate. Our experience here brings to the fore the difficulty of supplying for Sunday Masses at distant outstations whose finances are passworded. On some occasions, more especially when the brothers go in opposite direction for apostolate, they depend on public transport or the kindness of any church member who might offer them a lift on their motorbike or car. In spite of all these, what matters most for us is that Christ is proclaimed in everyway (cf. Phil 1:18).

2. A Descent Place of Worship
The 50 year-old structure in which the Church community presently worships appears to have been an honest but modest attempt to put a roof over the Church members at worship. Deficient both in size and strength, the small mud brick structure now exposes dangerous cracks in its walls coupled with a roof that is visibly fragile. This situation leaves St. Mary’s in dire need of a bigger and more descent Church building, a fact which made us entwine the 50th anniversary with a fund-raising for a new church.

3. An Improved Rectory
Records have it that Fr. Pedro Miranda, the first Catholic priest to oversee St. Mary’s Koluedor put up a structure which over the years has variously served as Priests’ rest house, Seminarians’ apartment, Clinic, Catechist’s residence, and school classroom. The yet-to-be fenced structure which was recently reconstructed can accommodate only two priests and lacks a good visitor’s room. Our missionary community-orientedness requires an improvement upon the existing status quo to provide accommodation for more missionaries who may either be visiting or taking apostolate in Koluedor and beyond.

4. Missionary Presence in Accra

Koluedor is a driving distance of about one hour from Accra, Ghana’s capital city. This distance not withstanding the town luckily falls within the Greater Accra region of Ghana, as such Koluedor provides us with a vantage and launching pad for making further inroads into/near the city. For example between Koluedor and Tema – Accra’s industrial neighbor – lies a vast stretch of largely undeveloped land known as the Accra plains. The Claretians stand a good chance of acquiring plots of land for purposes that might further the mission of Christ.

The 50th Anniversary: Highlights
The Claretians are making their mark in this mission, difficulties and challenges notwithstanding. Thanks to the grace of God, St. Mary’s now has in her books a successful 50th anniversary celebration at which Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle was Guest of honour. The week-long celebration which began on Sunday September 19th 2010, was heightened by the arrival of the Archbishop on the evening of Friday September 24th. He was met on arrival at the main junction of the town by the church members and ushered amid drumming and dancing into the church where he had a brief interaction with the people.

Saturday 25th September, was the climax of the anniversary celebration. The major activity of the day was tripartite; the Mass, Fund-raising and refreshment. The thanksgiving Mass was presided over by the Archbishop. Concelebrating were priests from within and beyond Accra Archdiocese including our own Fr. Declan Ugorji, CMF from Kumasi. The fund-raising for the new church building was sandwiched between the post-communion prayer and the final blessing. Refreshment and departure of guest followed but the Archbishop was to remain with us for another twenty-four hours. A Gospel Rock show organized by the youth took centre-stage in the evening featuring selected musicians of Ada extraction. A beautiful drama and comedy show concluded the day’s celebrations.

On Sunday September 26th, the Archbishop administered the sacrament of confirmation to a total of seventy one persons drawn from outstations across St. Peter Claver Rectorate. He left Koluedor at about 3:30pm with gifts and lasting memories.

By Fr. Jude Anyanwu, CMF
(St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Koluedor Ghana).

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ST MICHAEL’S PARISH KALA’A, MAIDUGURI DIOCESE

One can not give a history of what we have today as St. Michael’s Parish Kala’a, in isolation from the advent of western education in the land. The church can be said to have brought the school just as the school can also be said to have brought the church. It is just like the riddle of the hen and the egg. A question can be asked, of the two ( hen and egg) which one came first? Just as one can not talk of one without thinking of talking of the other, in the same way we can not talk of the advent of Catholicism in Kala’a without talking of the advent of catholic school in the land. The two go complementarily. Same will be done in this brief history of St Michael’s parish Kala’a. Today’s St Michael’s Parish Kala’a, is located in one of the Kilba lands (The Kilba who live in Hong Local Government Area are sandwiched in the area between four local governments: Gombi, Song, Mubi and Michika Local Government areas of Adamawa state). This parish has a foundation History that dates back to 1948 when the first missionary Fr. Mellan came into Kilba land from Yola where his station was. His mission however was not successful because the Chief of Kilba people then Mallam Mammadu Maundi did not permit him to settle in the land, because he had an agreement with the Sudan United Missionaries not to allow any other missionaries operate in Kilba land but them. For this reason he proceeded to Gulak (one of the key parishes of the diocese, not far from Kala’a) where he finally settled. A religious instructor however, Marsha Tartius encouraged others to join him at Gulak as students in the primary school where he was teaching. Following the persistent request and desire of the natives of Kala’a to have a mission school in their area, Fr. Green the priest in charge at Gulak sent other representatives of the natives to see the chief of Kilba land, then Santuraki Mammadu at Hong in 1959, these explained how frustrating it was to the poor to gain admission into Sudan United Mission schools. It was this that prompted the establishment of schools in Kala’a community and its neighborhoods after permission was finally given. In 1961, the school started as classes for religious instructions which later developed into full fledged primary school. Fr Green took charge of the management of the school, while Fr Cotter (who later became the first bishop of Maiduguri) and others followed subsequently. In 1965, the catholic schools spread to the other neighboring villages. Some of these schools however collapsed after the schools where confiscated by the government. Along the line with the influence of the presence of the school, Kala’a became a parish with resident priests, Fr. Lion OSA from 1970-1972 and from 1972-1974 Fr. J. Wash. Then Fr. Laugrand. However, in the year 1976, Fr Laugrand woke up to find out that almost all he had in the house had been stolen, more so by one of the boys who was supposed to take care of his property as his guides. This shock however made him pack to Mubi a parish nearby where the Parish Priest was on transfer, thus living Kala’a Parish without a priest. This action of his, left the parish empty and without a priest, and so the pioneer converts with the support of other missionaries that usually come around continued the spread of the faith. Thus the catholic faith succeeded in reaching places like: Zhiri, Dziga-yerima, Shiwa, Makera, Wafati, Vinde Gabda, Hong, Mbalwaha, Kwanan Kwuka, Kwatau, Kwambula, Kwakwa, Mararabe and others. Places that are today out stations to the parish. This absence of a priest in a new church full of new converts left the place a grazing ground for other denominations. Thus LCCN(Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria), EYN(Ecclesian Yanuwa a’Nigeria), among others took total control of Kilba land, attracting people more to themselves with their doctrines that are fully in support of polygamy, a practice the Catholic Church had earlier condemned. Today about 65% of Christians in Kilba land belong to the LCCN church and their Arewa Cathedral Head Quarter is in Kala’a, the heart of Kilba land. Other Pentecostal churches are also coming in or rather are in with their Pentecostal mentalities. In some of the villages food items are shared out to people in the churches so as to get them converted till date. With the departure of the missionaries the Church was cared for from Mubi as an out station of Mubi parish. But with the arrival of Bishop Matthew Ndangoso (Present Archbishop of Kaduna), the parish was reinstated to the level of a parish in the year 2007, with Fr Meskita Alexander as the parish priest though he operated from Mubi parish since there was no parish house ready then in Kala’a. He however operated for very few months before his transfer. After Fr. Alexander, then came Fr. David Brindling. Fr. Brindling, lived in the parish house then uncompleted and with the help of the Diocese and his friends he was able to complete the parish house. Shortly after completing the house he was transferred in June, 2010, while the new bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme invited the Claretian missionaries to come and run the parish. In August, 2010, the Claretian Missionaries then came in following the bishop’s request to run and build up the parish.

PARISH STATISTICS
St Michael’s Parish Kala’a has about 20 stations making up the parish. The total number of the Catholics in the communities making the parish is 1,850, those of other denominations in the same area number about 15, 012, while the non Christians in the same area make up a population of about 11, 375.

CHALLENGES FACING CATHOLICISM IN KALA’A PARISH AND COMMUNITY

1. Protestant and Pentecostal opposition: there exist an open opposition and confrontation by the Protestants and Pentecostals, in the area. These dominant groups feel threatened by the presence of Catholic Church in the community. As a result most Catholics are not finding it easy practicing there faith, even some that join Catholic Church ended up abandoning the faith. In some of the out stations, whenever they learn that Catholics want to acquire a piece of land for a place of worship, some of their rich ones come and pay more for same piece of land just to make sure the Catholics do not get.
2. Financial Insecurity:
Catholicism is just beginning to find its footing in Kala’a community. The parish is just a small worshiping community comprising mainly of farmers. Funding some projects in the parish is actually a problem because the parish is not financially buoyant.

3. New Converts
A good number of our converts in the stations are new converts from protestant churches. They are just beginning to get acquainted with the catholic doctrine and teachings. Must of them are few in number, far from the parish and cannot afford a manageable church structure. They all need assistance, and for this they all look up to the parish, which is also not buoyant enough.
4. Pastoral Challenges
Some members of the Catholic Church easily leave the church when shown concern, care, and love or given some financial assistance by the protestant church and their pastors. And in some of the rural stations, the pastors still share out food item so as to attract people to their churches and this draws some that would have been Catholics to Pentecostal Churches.
5. Another challenge is that of the location of most stations:
Most of the stations are located in some rural areas. One encounters lots of difficulties getting into those places especially during the rainy season.
Thanks to God we are making some impacts already and the people themselves have recognized the fact that Claretians are the ones working in their land now.
Thanks for all and God bless.

By Rev. Fr. Innocent Onyekachi Duru, Cmf.
St. Michael’s Parish, Kala’a

CLARET SECONDARY SCHOOL NEKEDE

1. PRESENTATION:

The Provincial and his Council after the VI Provincial Chapter was celebrated in January, 2010, decided to embark on the construction of a permanent site for “Claret Secondary School Nekede”. The permanent site is located inside Maryland, the compound housing “Claretian Institute of Philosophy Nekede”. The decision of the council is in compliance with the chapter mandate: “To build more schools and to improve on the standard of the existing schools”.

2. HISTORICAL REALITY:
The history of Claret Secondary School Nekede started as a child of necessity, due to the yearning of our host community (Nekede) who have been longing for a Catholic secondary school to be established for their children to have access to good and qualitative education. They had offered us opportunity of using the available land in their community primary school. However, the process for approval was too rigorous and it was not too clear if we could maintain the ownership of the property from the Imo state government since the land has already been registered under Government school. Not withstanding the initial odds and set back, the project got started all the same.
The school began in 2007/2008 academic year, using the parish hall of St. Paul’s Catholic Church Nekede, the parish is entrusted under the care of the Claretian Missionaries. The first set of students of the school wrote their Junior West African Examination Council (WAEC) in May/June, 2010. With the growing number of students the existing hall was becoming inadequate for the accommodation of the students. Hence the need to re-locate to a permanent site.

Another major reason that necessitated the movement was the inability of the school to be registered in a temporary site. And failure to complete the Registration exercise, there will be no approval invariably, thereby heading towards its closure by the Government of Imo State. And this directive has to be complied with.

Thus towards the end of March 2010, work on the permanent site commenced. We got started with the savings we were able to make by the end of 2009 financial year. There was no special grant for the project. But there was a lot of good will that the council received from the province members. This to some extent was generated into cash by the prompt response to our appeal and the Returns the brothers made towards the common good.

STRUCTURES ON GROUND
As at the point of documenting this few detail, we have on ground 6 classrooms of 9x11 meters; Principal and Bursars office. -10 WC’s for the students, while 2 are for the staff. There is a security post. The school has a population of 287 students and 26 staff.
3 classrooms under construction.

By Fr. Wilfred Anagbe, cmf.