The Archdiocese of Accra-Ghana has opened a youth congress expected to deliberate on issues affecting young people in the Church and proffer solutions to them.
The three-day congress, starting June 26-29 officially opened on June 27 at the St Paul’s Seminary, Sowutuom on the theme, “Connected to Jesus, Present to Others”.
The move is in line with the focus on youth and children in the Archdiocese by Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, Archbishop of Accra.
In December 2023, the Archbishop announced “Helping Children to Seek Christ: From Discovery to Discipleship” as the common theme for all Churches in the Archdiocese for the year 2024.
The focus is to prioritize the spiritual growth and development of the younger members of the Church in Accra.
It is again in line with Pope Francis’ initiative for the Synod on Synodality which reflects his vision of a Church that is more participatory, responsive, and in dialogue with the modern world. Seeks to empower all members of the Church to contribute to its mission and governance, fostering greater unity and effectiveness in proclaiming the Gospel.
It is also coming at a time when the Church in Ghana is battling a dwindling Catholic population with the youth said to be the highest group in the mass exodus.
In a Nov. 13 address at the Bishops’ Plenary Assembly in Sunyani, the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference Most Rev. Matthew K. Gyamfi noted that the proportion of Ghanaians identifying as Catholics had fallen from 15.1% in the 2000 census to 10.1% in the 2021 census.

“Available records show that the Catholic population increased steadily from 1880 until 2000 when the Catholic population was 15.1%,” he said. “The Catholic population, however, dropped from 15.1% in the 2000 census, to 13.1% in the 2010 census (that is, 3,230,996 of 24,658,823).”
“This figure further declined to 10.1% in the 2021 census, down from 3,230,996 to 3,079,261, meaning that statistically, the Church lost approximately 230,000 of its members within the last 10 to 11 years.”
Addressing a gathering of Bishops, Priests, Religious Men and Women, a section of the laity of the Archdiocese of Accra as well as delegates of what could be described as a game changer congress, Youth Chaplain of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, Rev. Fr. Alphonse Bulloro said the idea of a youth congress is to build on the momentum of the 2017, Accra Archdiocesan Youth Synod.
“This Congress is a testament to the Archbishop’s dedication to the youth, whom he holds dear to his heart. Last year, at the Conversations in the Cathedral, he [Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie] declared this year as the Year of the Youth and directed that this Congress be held. We gather today at St. Paul’s Seminary, building on the momentum of the 2017, Accra Archdiocesan Youth Synod,” Fr. Bulloro said.
He added, “At this Congress, we have a rich representation of 82 delegates as of yesterday from Parishes, rectorates, youth movements and from among the priests and religious. We come together in the spirit of synodality to engage in meaningful dialogue and listen to each other’s perspectives.”
For his part, Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie expressed hope that the congress will help bring about some answers regarding how to effectively bring young people along in the mission of the Church which is to evangelise.
“The theme contain the points we want to discuss. These are evangelisation, vocation discernment, moral questions such as alcohol, drugs and substance abuse, prostitution, armed robbery and so forth. How do we hear from them? Is it a question of leadership that is making the youth leave the Church? Is it a doctrinal question or sociological issue that is making our youth become lapsed Christians? or are we politicising the issue out of proportion? These are the points I want you to reflect on,” Archbishop Kwofie urged.
Youth President of the Archdiocese, Mr. Augustine Dagbey, opined that, “The modern-day youth are faced with numerous challenges. Issues such as unemployment, relationship breakdowns, family turmoil, uncensored media exposure and the rise of superficial social media influencers can be overwhelming. When seeking solace from all these, the Church sometimes demands from us. These demands are sometimes unbearable. Sometimes these demands are unfriendly, criticisms and harsh corrections leaving no room for discovery, confidence building and encouragement.”

He however noted that the congress is an “opportune time for the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra” to address the issues confronting the youth. Noting that, “We have no other place to go to but to stay and hope for a brighter future in the Church because Christ exists here and there is salvation in him.”
Delivering a keynote address on the theme, “ Connected to Jesus, Present to Others,” Dr. Millicent Adjei Togo underscored the crucial role the youth play in the life of the Church.

Drawing on the roles young biblical figures such as Mary, Samuel and Joseph played in Jesus’ ministry, she argued that the role of young people in the Church today, cannot be overemphasized.
“Indeed, the youth have a special place in Jesus’s ministry and through the bible we encounter different ways Jesus worked with the youth to push forth The Salvation agenda: Take Samuel, King David, Gideon, Joseph and our blessed mother Mary, to mention a few and their respective roles they played my favorite being our Blessed Mother who in full submission accepted with no arguments to be the Mother of our Savior and through her obedience giving all of us the opportunity to be saved,” Dr. Togo said.
On Friday, June 28th, the congress will begin with Holy Mass followed by the commencement of Listening Session 3. This session, themed around empowering youth in leadership and understanding non-Catholic and lapsed Catholic perspectives and concludes with remarks by Bishop Anthony Narh Asare.
On Saturday, June 29th, the event culminates in a grand convocation. Beginning with a procession of all youth in the Archdiocese. The day features opportunities for confession and preparations for Mass until 11:00 AM. A Mass, open forum, and goodwill messages followed by a music festival.
Throughout these days, the Congress not only explores themes vital to youth engagement and spiritual growth but also fosters a sense of connectedness to Jesus and each other, exemplifying the theme “Connected to Jesus, Present to Others” in action within the Catholic community of Accra.