The Archbishop of Kumasi, Most Rev Gabriel Anokye, is expected to travel to Texas in January 2027 for the dedication of the world’s first Catholic parish named after Ghanaian martyr St Matthew Ayariga.
The new St Matthew Ayariga Catholic Church in Arlington will be formally dedicated during three Masses scheduled for January 29–31, 2027.
The parish, established by the Diocese of Fort Worth, will also become the first Ghanaian Catholic parish in the United States, serving the growing Ghanaian Catholic community in North Texas.
Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth announced the establishment of the parish in a pastoral letter and decree issued on August 28, 2026.
Archbishop Anokye’s expected presence at the dedication will add a significant Ghanaian dimension to the historic occasion, as the parish takes its name from a Ghanaian Christian whose martyrdom in Libya has become a symbol of Christian witness and unity.
St Matthew Ayariga was one of 21 Christian migrant workers kidnapped and killed by the Islamic State (ISIS) on a beach near Sirte, Libya, on February 15, 2015.
Originally from Ghana, Ayariga was the only Black African among the 21 men. The other 20 were Coptic Orthodox Christians from Egypt.
Accounts of the incident report that when his captors questioned him about his faith, Ayariga responded: “Their God is my God.”
The Coptic Orthodox Church recognised all 21 men as saints and martyrs on February 21, 2015, under Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II.
In an ecumenical gesture, Pope Francis announced in 2023 that the 21 martyrs would be inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, allowing them to be honoured in the Catholic Church.
Their feast day is celebrated on February 15.
A parish built by Ghanaian Catholics
The new parish has its roots in the growing Ghanaian Catholic community in North Texas, which has worshipped together at St Joseph Church in Arlington since 2007.
According to the Diocese of Fort Worth, the community has spent nearly two decades raising funds and working towards establishing a parish of its own.
Bishop Olson said the parish would provide Ghanaian Catholics with a spiritual home where they could worship together, maintain links with the Church in Ghana and help their children grow in the faith within the local Church.
“Saint Matthew Ayariga Catholic Church will provide a place for Ghanaian Catholics to come together in Christ as the Church to worship God, to assist their maintaining bonds with the Church in Ghana, and to strengthen their children sacramentally to grow as part of the local church here,” Bishop Olson said.
He also said the parish would help immigrants transition into life in Texas and the United States while becoming “productive contributors to the common good”.
The parish will operate from a former Methodist church in south Arlington, which is currently being renovated.
The January dedication is expected to bring together Ghanaian Catholics, representatives of the wider Catholic community, bishops and cardinals from Texas and across the United States, as well as local officials.
For Ghana, the occasion will also shine a spotlight on the enduring witness of Ayariga, whose final testimony of faith alongside the 20 Coptic martyrs has become an important symbol of Christian unity and courage.
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