The mission of Ghana was founded by the Province of Columbia, which over the years has been sending confreres to support and help with formation and evangelisation. The Redemptorists are found in three towns in Ghana; In Kubiase which is about 12km from the second capital of Kumasi and in Sekode and Ho. Kubiase is a student community with brothers studying Philosophy and Theology and part of that community includes Frs. Juan Baptiste, Gerard and Orlando. Sekode is a postulant community including Frs. Juan Pablo, Pascal from Burkina and Br. Peter and Ho is a parish community having Frs. Christian Klu, Mark and Br. Paul. The mission has 9 confreres and 5 local men ordained to the priesthood. Fr Christian Klu has been in formation since ordination in the community of Kubiase. Since the founding of the Mission of Ghana the fathers from Columbia have been leading the mission while the local priests where being prepared to assume positions and roles of leadership. Fr. Christian Klu has attended several courses at Corat Africa in Nairobi Kenya and has been at helm of the successful water project in Pease. The training has born fruits now with the appointment of Fr. Christian Klu, as the first local parish priest and superior of the community in Ho.
On the 10th of September the formation community in Kubiase gathered together for dinner and during dinner the students took time to say farewell to Fr. Christian Klu who had been working in formation for a long time. It was a touching moment as student after student came forward to thank him for the time he had journeyed with them, shaped them, and challenged them and how he had been a good model to them. They also had time to congratulate him and wish him well on his new appointment. This was a big step in the mission of Ghana as he becomes the first local priest to be appointed parish priest and rector. He was appointed to work in the parish in Mawali Estate.
Fr. Christian Klu moves to a parish set up where as the first local young man will begin a new and different role as Parish taking a more pastoral role than before. The parish set up will demand him to engage more with the Christian faithful and minister to them and also shepherd them. The parish will be an opportunity to make Redemptorist spirituality known by creating in the parish a prayer life through Redemptorist prayer exercises and novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
This appointment is aimed to the liberation and salvation of the whole human person as reminded by Constitution 5. The place which is relatively new and still growing in terms of infrastructural development stands in need of spiritual care and nourishment, which will be exercised through a number of ministries from spiritual camps, feeding the hungry, sheltering the poor, helping with health issues, advocacy for the injustices done to the poor, helping with sustainable projects for livelihoods, helping with educational issues, attending to the orphans, the elderly and the vulnerable and being the voice of the voiceless . Constitution no 3 reminds us that, “the Congregation directs its apostolic zeal towards the faithful who enjoy ordinary pastoral care; for they need to be strengthened in faith, continually converted to God, and bear witness to the faith in everyday life.”
