GHANCYC opens 49th Annual Meeting in Tamale, Youth urged to proclaim christ as Hope for Ghana

The Ghana National Catholic Youth Council (GHANCYC) has officially opened its 49th Annual General Council Meeting (AGCM) in Tamale, bringing together Catholic youth leaders, clergy, laity, and dignitaries from across the country.

The four-day gathering, running from September 4–7, 2025, is being held at the Centre for Pastoral Formation in Tamale under the theme: “Jubilee Year: A Time to Proclaim Christ, Hope for the Church and Ghana.”

The AGCM has drawn delegates from all 20 Archdioceses, Dioceses, Vicariates, and National Movements/Societies nationwide. As the Council’s highest decision-making body, the meeting seeks to strengthen the faith, leadership, and mission of young Catholics in the Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis.

The opening session featured an interactive discussion on “Ghana’s Political Economy of Conflict through Youth Empowerment and Skills Development for Social Cohesion and National Security,” facilitated by Rev. Fr. Clement Aapengnuo, Country Director of Coginta Ghana, as part of the Sahel Peace Initiative.

The National Chairman of the Ghana National Catholic Laity Council (GNCLC), Sir John Kofi Tandoh, reaffirmed the Laity Council’s commitment to mentoring the youth, describing them as a “vital force” for evangelisation and moral development.

Representing the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, Most Rev. Philip Naameh, Rev. Fr. Boris Charles Ansu Tengabo urged young people to embrace servant leadership, stressing that true leadership in the Church is rooted in humility, not privilege.

Engr. Sir Joseph Charles Osei, CEO of Bibir Ghana and Special Guest challenged Catholic youth to rise as “true Pilgrims of Hope” by evangelising through digital media, creative arts, peer-to-peer ministry, and acts of mercy. He reminded them that with more than 60% of Ghana’s population being youth, they are central to shaping the nation’s hopeful future.

The AGCM will conclude on Sunday, September 7, 2025, with a Thanksgiving Mass and the installation of newly elected executives at the Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral in Tamale. The installation will be presided over by Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom.

The meeting is expected to inspire renewed commitment to faith, leadership, and service, aligning with the Jubilee Year’s call to proclaim Christ as the ultimate hope for both the Church and Ghana.