The Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in Bolgatanga has donated food items and non-food items to inmates of the Navrongo Central Prisons in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region.
The items include rice, maize, gari, beans, soft drinks, bags of sachet water, ingredients, cooking oil, hot meals (jollof), solid and liquid soap and washing powder, among others.
Additionally, the Catholic Church donated similar items except for the hot meals to the Mother of Mercy Babies Home, an orphanage in Sirigu in the Kassena-Nankana West District.
The gesture formed part of the efforts to put smiles on the faces of the less privileged during this year’s festive season and also formed part of activities marking the centenary celebration of the Church scheduled for June 2025.
The centenary celebration is held on the theme: “Celebrating 100 years of walking together as a family of God.”
Presenting the items at different locations, Reverend Father Ebenezer Atogdem, a Priest at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish, who prayed for both the inmates and the babies noted that the gesture was a show of love which was the hallmark of the church.
At the Navrongo Central Prisons, the Priest who gave a word of exultation, admonished the inmates not to lose hope in God but instead see their situation as God’s plan to transform them into better persons to contribute to the development of their families and the country.
“All of us here are potential inmates, you being here does not mean that we those outside are better than you because all of us are potential inmates, we don’t know when we will end up here and that is why we are here to encourage you to trust in God”, he said.
Mr Frederick Amenga-Etego, Chairman of the Centenary Planning Committee, said the Parish would turn 100 years in February 2025 and the gesture was part of activities to mark the milestone and believed that God would have mercy on the inmates and bless them accordingly.
Dr David Azupogo, Vice-Chairman of the Centenary Planning Committee, explained that although the donation was not enough, the Church believed that it would help smoothen their consumption for a while and help them to feel part of the yuletide celebrations.
Mr Thomas Ayipala, the Chairman of the Pastoral Council of the Church, noted that the Catholic Church cared about the people in need and the move was part of the church’s inclusive agenda so that the less privileged could feel belonged.
Receiving the items on behalf of Assistant Director of Prisons, Mr Yakubu Ibrahim Abugrago, the Regional Commander of the Ghana Prisons Service, Deputy Superintendent of Prisons, Reverend Joachim Yemini Bogre, Chaplain of the Navrongo Central Prisons, thanked the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish for the kind gesture.
He said the donation would go a long way to support the feeding strength of the inmates and pledged that the items would be used solely for the inmates.
“Currently, the feeding grant is GH₡1.80 per day on each inmate, which is woefully inadequate and so whenever we receive donations such as these, it is a good boost,” he added.
At the Mother of Mercy Babies Home, Sister Delphina Zoomie, Administrator of the Home, expressed gratitude to the Church for the constant support and appealed for more support to raise the babies properly.
The Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish was established in February 1925 and has since grown and given birth to seven other parishes within the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese.
