NAME OF ORGANIZATION: Christian Mother’s Association  

NUMERICAL STRENGTH: Two Thousand one hundred and fifty-two 

AIMS & OBJECTIVES:
To demonstrate the Christian faith in action by transformation of communities. Worldwide through the  nurture of the family in its many form to promote favorable conditions in society to help family life to be stable for the protection of children and others in difficulty and to support the church.  

MISSION
We are committed to the empowerment of women, poverty reduction and enhancement of dynamic Christian values among family members. We serve these causes by supporting among family members. We serve these causes by supporting income generating activities, providing civic, health, formal and none formal education and teaching of social and moral values.                                 

VISION
A well organize, well managed self-sustaining women’s group, able to continuously support the spiritual, social, economic and political empowerment of wome

CURRENT LEADERSHIP  

 PARISHES WHERE ORGANIZATION EXISTS
Christian Mothers Association is in every parish in the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua.                                                                    

BRIEF HISTORY
The Christian Mother’s Association (CMA) is a National women’s Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in the Catholic Church, Ghana. CMA was formed in the early 1940s by same group of eminent spiritualists for the spiritual and somehow material advancement of orthodox religious women in Ghana. In the past, emphasis was placed on religious activities only in the early 1960s a social worker from Germany by name Dr. Helga Kleinkowski, with the help of some Ghanaian Nuns re-organised the Christian Mother’s Association of Ghana to also Cates for the Socio-economic needs of the members.

With the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Germany, through Dr. Helga Kleinkowski, an office which used to be the Head Office of CMA was established in Ghana 1966.

In 1976, a National body was formed together with the election of Executives who were specially detailed to champion. The course of Christian Mothers’ Association of Ghana. With the help of the National Executives, the existing constitution was drawn.

OTHER RELEVANT AND USEFUL INFORMATION
We have elected new executive as our constitution demands but a court injunction at the national level made it impossible for new executives to be sworn in so the old executives one to hold the fort until the court case is over. List of new executives will be communicated to you as and when we have the order from above

KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN INTERNATIONAL

BRIEF HISTORY:

There was religious intolerance in Europe during the 1800 and as a result of that some practicing Catholic men and women left Europe for the United States of American to enable them serve God and practice freedom of worship. These immigrants formed many benevolent societies within their parishes and rectories in the church and some of them named their said benevolent societies after Medieval Knights which was formed during the crusade era. They also found themselves in another unstable position, as it was the time that the American Civil War was in progress.

After the Civil War has ended there was the need for physical and spiritual healing and as result of that more benevolent Catholic societies were found often will military theme. In 1879 the various Catholic benevolent societies in America met in Baltimore, Maryland and many of them agreed to merge, forming the Roman Catholic Union of the Knights of St’. John.

The Organization chose for itself as a model and patron, St. John the Baptist, the Baptiser of Jesus Christ St. John the Baptist as he stood for the truth and died as result of that.

The members decided to make the newly formally organization an incorporated body and on 6th May, 1886 had it registered under the special Laws of New York, as Roman Catholic Union of the Knights of St’ John and was later shortened to the  Knight of  St’ John.

In 1992 a resolution was passed to amend the name Knight of St. John to Knights of St’ John International to reflect the reality that the order had spread to many countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, the  Republic of Panama and recently the United Kingdom.

The Noble Order of the Knights of St. John international came into Ghana, then Gold Coast in 1933. The Archbishop of Cape Coast at that time, His Grace Archbishop Thomas William Porter gave provisional consent for the order to operate in the country for a give year period for assessment before final authorization was granted for the fist commandery to be established in the Gold Coast. At the end of the five year period in 1937, the Archbishop gave approved for the establishment of the Order in Saltpond. It was through the instrumentality of Emmanuel Rephael Quansah that the first commandery in Ghana was opened at St’ John the Baptist at Saltpond. In the Koforidua diocese the first commandery # 400 was opened at St’ Michael Parish in July 1968 at Nkawkaw.

THE REGISTERED OBJECTIVE OF KNIGHT OF ST’ JOHN UNDER THE SPECIAL LAWS OF NEW YORK ARE:-
1.      To create and foster a feeling of fraternity and fellowship among the various commanderies within the union.
2.      To improve their moral, mental and social condition.
3.      To assist and support members and their families in case of want, sickness or death.
4.      To promote the welfare of the Roman Catholic Religion.

REGULAR ACTIVITIES
Invariably, the above-mentioned objectives particularly promotion of the welfare of the Roman Catholic Church has never been compromised.

The order plays significant role in advancing the course of the Church at the local parishes and at the diocesan level.

Instances are:-
(a)  They are playing pivotal roles on liturgical matter.
(b)  Actively involved in parish statutory committees.
(c)  Spearheading fund raising activities at the parish
(d)  Contribute towards the upkeep  of seminarians
(e)  Contribute financially towards church project
(f)   Defend the teachings of the church in cases where we come into contact with critics of our faith.

OTHER ACTIVITIES
a.      We organize monthly meetings for members.
b.      Retreat are organized from time to time
c.      Schools of the Knights are organized yearly for members. Its purpose is to educate members on the tenets and principles of the Order.
d.      Annual games are organized by members.

OTHER INFORMATION
The Knights of St’ John International organized themselves into groups placed under a command and located at a Catholic Parish. Each unit was referred to as a Commandery which mostly adopted the name of the Parish.

Local commanderies were grouped into District Commanderies (i.e. Diocesan) and Grand Commanderies (Ecclesiastical province).

In the Koforidua diocese there are eleven commanderies namely:-

St. Michael Commandery               -           Nkawkaw

St. George Commandery                 -           Koforidua

Our Lady of Fatima                          -           Oda

Holy Trinity                                      -           Agomanya

St. Anthony                                       -           Akwatia

St. Mary                                             -           Asamankese

Our Lady of Good Counsel                        -           Kwahu Tafo

St. Peter                                              -           Somanya

St. Barbara                                         -           Akosombo

St. Joseph the Worker                     -           Adoagyiri

St. Catherine                                     -           Kade

St. Fidelis                                           -           Tease

With the exception of Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Fidelis all the rest have cadets commanderies attached.

LEADERSHIP
The District Commandery is headed by the District Commander, Colonel Francis K. Kumi of P.O Box 1439 Koforidua.

The 1st Vice Commander – Ltd Col. David Afram of G.E.S.  P. O. Box 302, Akim – Oda.

The 2nd Vice Comander is Major Dr. Bernard Nuertey of  P.O. Box 74, Kade.