Accra: Members of the Knights and Ladies of St. John International (KSJI) have successfully inaugurated a new spiritual centre dedicated to the memory of the late Most Rev. John Kodwo Amissah, former Archbishop of Cape Coast. This initiative, known as the 'Hermitage Project', was officially handed over to the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra with the aim of enhancing spiritual growth among church members.
According to Ghana News Agency, the project, valued at GHC 800,000, is situated in Kordiabe, located in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region. The centre is designed to serve as a haven for prayer, meditation, and spiritual renewal. It features three bedrooms, a chapel, a kitchen, a visitors' washroom, and a storeroom, all constructed with the professional expertise of KSJI members who volunteered their services.
The ceremony was attended by members of the Accra East Grand Commandery and the Accra East Grand Ladies Auxiliary of KSJI. Speaking at the event, Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, highlighted the significance of such retreat houses, urging the community to utilize the centre for their spiritual needs.
Rev. Fr. Major John Benya Mensah, Chaplain of KSJI Accra East Grand, called on association members to exemplify Christ's resurrection and guide others in their spiritual journeys. He emphasized the importance of the centre as a place for solitude and divine encounter, encouraging attendees to direct others seeking spiritual solace to the Hermitage Project.
Grand President Samuel Baimbill-Johnson expressed gratitude to KSJI members and other contributors, inviting everyone to visit the centre for retreats instead of traveling outside the Accra Archdiocese. He underscored the centre's potential to provide spiritual nourishment within the local community.
Born on November 27, 1922, in Elmina, Archbishop Amissah's notable ecclesiastical career included his ordination as a priest in 1949, earning a Doctor of Canon Law degree from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, and his consecration as a bishop in 1957. He served as the Archbishop of Cape Coast from 1960 until his passing in 1991, holding numerous significant church and national positions throughout his life.