Catechists remain a crucial link in sustaining Catholic communities, particularly in areas where priests are unable to visit regularly, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta, has said.
He said the voluntary service of catechists had enabled many Catholic communities and outstations to remain active despite limited access to priests.
Bishop Agyenta made the remarks when he welcomed delegates to the 2026 Annual National Delegates Conference of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Catechists Association (NUGCCA) in Bolgatanga.
The conference was held on the theme: “Marriage as a Vocation and Sacrament.”
The Bishop expressed appreciation to both male and female catechists for dedicating their time, resources and talents to the service of the Church, often under difficult circumstances.
He said catechists in some communities were required to keep the faith alive for extended periods before priests could visit.
“They hold the fort,” he said, stressing that their contribution deserved greater recognition and support.
Bishop Agyenta acknowledged the challenges confronting catechists and said the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese was exploring ways to provide them with greater assistance.
He also urged priests to pay closer attention to catechists and recognise them as important collaborators in the Church’s pastoral mission.
Training of catechists prioritised
Bishop Agyenta said the Diocese placed considerable emphasis on the formation and training of catechists to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to serve effectively.
He assured the catechists that the Diocese would continue working to ensure they were adequately prepared and supported in their ministry.
National Chairman of NUGCCA, Mr Lawrence Kobla Dafeamekpor, said the catechists’ vocation demanded considerable sacrifice, commitment and determination.
He said without a spirit of sacrifice, it would be difficult for catechists to effectively minister to the faithful.
According to him, catechists drew their strength from God and looked to Christ as their leader and example.
Conference focuses on Christian marriage
The annual conference brought together catechists from Catholic dioceses across Ghana to deliberate on matters relating to their ministry and the Catholic faith.
The theme on marriage was intended to highlight the importance of proper preparation for couples and the need to sustain marriages beyond the wedding ceremony.
National Director of Catechists, Rev. Fr Christopher Vodzogbe, explained that the Catholic Church viewed marriage as both a divine institution and a vocation through which couples were called to lives of holiness and service.
He said marriage provided companionship and, where possible, enabled couples to participate in God’s creative work through raising children.
Fr Vodzogbe explained that vocation in the Catholic faith was fundamentally a call from God to love, serve and grow in holiness.
He said marriage was one of the ways Christians responded to that universal call by forming a lifelong union in which spouses supported each other’s spiritual growth.
He added that the Church also recognised priesthood, religious life and the single life as other forms of vocation, all of which required commitment to service and holiness.
