About Us

Brief history of St. Cecilia Parish of Ho-Dome

The Catholic Church was brought to Ho in 1906 through the dynamism and instrumentality of Togbe Degbadzo who was also known then as Togbe Howusu VIII, forty-seven years after the Bremen Missionaries, from Germany under the leadership of Rev. Lorenz Wolf, arrived in Ho in the year 1859 to establish the Evangelical Presbyterian Church during the reign of Togbe Motte Kofi I.

In 1906, two German SVD (Society of the Divine Word) Missionary Priests Rev. Frs. Eichman and Knockers came on a recognizance mission from Agome-Kpalime in Togo at the request of Togbe Degbadzor, (through the following delegates, Kodzo Bonto from Bankoe and Kodzo Deku, Kosi Bansah, Attakumah Bansah and Agbeme Anku from Ho-Dome) for permission and Ecclesiastical authority to open the Catholic Church in Ho.  At Ho-Dome, a small church was started in the Blisame clan at a location where Torgbe Kwamidevie’s house now stands.

Two years later on 22^nd April 1908 ecclesiastical recognition was given to the Chursh by the Society of Divine Word (SVD) missionary head office in Lome as a mission station at Bankoe to be managed as an out station of Agome Kpalime under Rev. Fr. Eichman (SVD).

Though a practicing Traditionalist’ Togbe Degbadzo embraced the missionaries and for that matter the Catholic faith and even offered his son Kofi Adakpa to be baptized and was christened Vondelinus at the Ho-Bankoe Catholic Church in 1909.  Vondelinus later became Togbe Hpwusu Motte XI.

During the period 1908 – 1919, tehe following people from ho-Dome were baptized into the Catholic Church; Godfred Kodjo Deku, Johnson Bansah, Thomas Bansah, Anthony ANku Kuma, Francis Deku, E|dward Ashun Koku, Augustine Kofi, |Dominic Appiah and others.  They formed the first Catholic faithful from Ho-Dome but were obliged by circumstances to attend Mass at Bankoe, because the heavy influence of the E.P. Church in Dome community did not favour the growth of the Catholic Church.  Togbe Degzadzo, therefore, advised that the few converts join their brothers and sisters at Ho-Bankoe where the Church had taken root and did not face any rivalry.

In 1939, the Catholic community of Ho-Dome made a frantic effort at establishing a school which was expected to enhance the growth of the church as the young ones would be converted and trained into teachers and catechists.  Unfortunately the school could not stand the test of the times and had to be closed down due to some reasons.  First of all, the First World War left in its trial a high level of economic recession, which transcended on the local people.  Secondly, the loyalty of the people was divided along the lines of warring factions leading to so much unrest at the local front.  This situation has a telling effort on the people, the church community was diminishing due to the steadfastness and faithfulness of some of the elderly Catholics, the community was brought back to life again.

Some years after the Second World War, another attempt was made at establishing a school.  Messrs Patrick Korsi Afari, Augustine Megbenu and Herman D|oku on behalf of the Catholic Community of Ho-Dome, contacted Mr. W.B.L Adzie, then a Presbyterian, who for the love of his community and the Church offered some of his rooms for use as classrooms.  He later converted to the catholic faith.  Te first set of teachers were the late Francis Deku and Stephen Akpoh. Payment for the teachers was done by the parents of the pupils and the Ho-Dome community through a fee of two shillings per pupil and another two shillings as educational development levy imposed on all indigents.  Through this effort, the number of Dome Catholic converts increased appreciably over the years.

In 1957, Torgbe Vondelinus Howusu Motte Kofi XI acquired a piece of land from Dzaba family of Ho-Bankoe for the Catholic Church at Ho-Dome.  A shed was erected on the piece of land and the church activities were revived in it.  This was a great relief to the children and the aged who, hitherto, find it difficult to walk the long distance from Dome to Bankoe to attend Holy Mass and other Church activities.

The late Rev. Monsignor Phillip S. Bonto, who was then the parish priest of Sacred Heart Parish realized that the plot released by Dzaba family was not large enough to accommodate any meaningful future expansion, so in consultation with the late Patrick Afari, approached the Glalah and Amexo families of Ho-Ahoe.  The two families released additional parcels of land adjacent to tat already acquired from the Dzaba family to the Catholic Church at Ho-Dome.  The acquisition of this additional parcel land paved way for the putting up of permanent structures for the Primary and Middle Schools.  This was done through communal labour by the Catholic Community of Ho-Dome.  The necessary building materials were provided by the Department of Social Wlefare and Community Development through the assistance of Mr. J.M.K. Addo.  From 24th January, 1960, Church Service was reloaded to the completed school building.

A glowing tribute should be paid to those elders and catechists who faithfully assisted in the conduction of church service and saw to the preparation for the visit of the Priests.  The Catholic community is very grateful to Mr. Patrick Kosi Afari and his wife for hosting the priests.

Many priests visited teh Catholic Community of Ho-Dome then to offer Holy Mass.