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DATA ON CHRIST THE KING QUASI-PARISH, KWAHU PEPEASE
Name, Location and Situation Profile: The name of the parish is Christ the King Quasi-Parish and it is found at Kwahu-Pepease, a town found in the Kwahu East district of the Eastern Region. It is a town located on the Kwahu ridge and specifically, five (5) kilometers from Kwahu Abetifi (the district capital). When you get to Abetifi, you turn right at the roundabout and you are heading towards Pepease. The Quasi-Parish is made up of mainly peasant farmers, with a few government workers. With regards to the population, the children and those of pension age are the majority. This is because the youth after completing basic and secondary education move to the big towns and cities to seek greener pastures. A lot of the inhabitants are involved in African Traditional Religion, while the Presbyterian Church is the predominant Christian denomination, with other Christian denominations like Anglican, Methodist, Pentecost, Church of Christ and other Charismatic churches present, as well as, some Moslem communities.
Brief History: The church in Pepease began in 1935, when some cocoa farmers, with their wives from Ahinase, a nearby town often came to town to trade. Since they spend some days for their trading, which sometimes included Sundays, they started organizing services with residents of the town who were their friends. These men were Opanyin George Kwadwo Anim, Emmanuel Kwasi Kwakye, Martin Kwabena Kwakye, Lawrence Kwadwo Boamah, Joseph Yaw Wiafe, Ernest Kwasi Ponkor-Dankyi, Martin Kwame Koranteng and Stephen Kwadwo Saka. The first church president was Op. George K. Anim. Between 1935 and 1942, they attended Holy Mass at Kwahu Tafo anytime some Reverend Fathers, who belonged to the S.M.A. Congregation came from Kumasi for a visit. During one of such visits, they pleaded with Rev. Fr. Lemens, S.M.A. to accompany them to Pepease, so that their chief, Nana Owusu Mensah, who had heard about him could greet him. Subsequently, on 11th November, 1941, Fr. Lemens, S.M.A. followed them to Pepease and during the meeting; the chief gave the land on which the church stands now. Fr. Lemens named the church the Infant of Prague Catholic Church. Later, the church came under the S.V.D. Fathers, especially Frs. Cletus Hodapp and Norbert Mushoff, who had been entrusted the care of the Kwahu Tafo church. These priests then appointed Mr. John Anthony Kwadow Sefah as the first official catechist for the church and since then, some of the catechists have been Francis Boateng, Clement Ampadu (both late) and Lawrence Sylvester Kofi Addo, who has been a catechist of the church for forty-six (46) years. The S.V.D.s later changed the name of the church to Christ the King Catholic Church. The present church was built by Frs. Cletus Hodapp, Clement Hotze and Vincent Burke, all S.V.D. priests and consecrated by Rt. Rev. Joseph Oliver Bowers, S.V.D. in 1951. Since that time, the church has been under the pastoral care of Kwahu Tafo Parish and the S.V.D.s until October, 2007 when it was carved out of Kwahu Tafo, made a Quasi-parish and the first diocesan priest, in the person of Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Debrah appointed as the Priest-in-Charge.
Outstations and Liturgical Activities: Pepease Quasi-Parish has the following stations: Pepease, Abetifi, Aduamoa, Sempoa, Hweehwee, Abene, Nkwatia, Onyemso, Hyewohoden and Suntre. The times for Mass on Sundays are Pepease – 7:30 a.m.; Aduamoa – 8 a.m.; Abetifi – 9:30 a.m.; Nkwatia – 7:30 a.m. The other outstations are visited on these days: Aduamoa, Abene and Hweehwee - Wednesdays; Onyemso – Thursdays; Suntre and Hyewohoden – Fridays; and Sempoa – Saturdays. These stations are also visited sometimes on Sunday. In addition, Mass is celebrated every day in Pepease at 5 a.m. Again, there are teachings at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Pepease, Nkwatia and Abetifi respectively. Furthermore, we have Holy Hour on first Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Hour of Grace on first Fridays from 12 noon to 1 p.m., Healing Service at 5 a.m. on Saturdays and All-Night prayers on the last Fridays of every month. Funerals are held on the Kwahu Ridge based on the allocations done by the Kwahu Traditional Council for the various towns and this is observed by the church. Communion to the Sick is also carried out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in Pepease, Abetifi and Nkwatia respectively.
Schools and Institutions: The Quasi-Parish has the following schools Pepease K.G.; Primary and J.H.S; Abetifi K.G; Primary and J.H.S.; Nkwatia K.G.; Primary and J.H.S; St. Peter’s K.G.; Primary and J.H.S; Aduamoa K.G; Primary and J.H.S.; Hweehwee K.G.; Primary and J.H.S. There are also St. Dominic and St. Peter Senior High Schools at Pepease and Nkwatia respectively. We have chaplaincy apostolate at the Presbyterian University, Presbyterian College of Education, Presbyterian Senior High School in Abetifi and Nkwatia Senior High School too.
Other Relevant Data: The current Priest –in- Charge is Rev. Fr. Raphael Gyapong Frempong and is assisted by Rev. Fr. Nicholas Agyei, who is also the Chaplain to St. Dominic Senior High School, Pepease. The Quasi-Parish has fourteen (14) voluntary catechists.
Contact Numbers and Address: The contact numbers are Fr. Raphael: 024-475-6414/020-710-9526 and Fr. Nicholas: 024-401-3851/020-752-8340. The address is Christ the King Quasi-Parish; P. O. Box MP 293; Kwahu Mpraeso. The e-mail address is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Written by:
Rev. Fr. Raphael Gyapong Frempong.
