Preaching at the anniversary celebration in Cape Coast on Saturday, 17 October 2026, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle challenged the congregation and the wider Christian community to reflect on the sacrifices of the pioneering sisters who endured difficult conditions to establish and develop their mission in Ghana.
“They were sent here in the mosquitoes and all the yellow fever and the suffering they went through only God knows and yet they persevered,” he said.
The Archbishop pointed to the development of Holy Child School and Holy Child Training College, now a college of education, as part of the legacy of the sisters’ dedication. He urged the congregation to consider how best to honour that legacy in the years ahead.
“What are you going to pay back? What sacrifice are you going to make? What service are you offering?” he asked.
He called on the congregation to make the next 20 years before the centenary an opportunity to deepen its commitment to the mission and example of its founders.
“So today as we honour 80 years of the foundation of Holy Child School in Ghana and the rest, you have 20 more years to pay back. Very soon you’ll be 100 years old. I pray to God some of you will be there for the centenary.”
‘Christ did not ask for acknowledgement’
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle identified service, selfless service, self-sacrificing service and self-giving as essential expressions of the Christian vocation.
He cautioned against seeking recognition for acts of service, reminding the congregation that Christian discipleship demands generosity without the expectation of praise.
“We serve but we like acknowledgement. No, Christ did not ask for acknowledgement. He asked for selfless service.”
He said the call to sacrifice extends beyond priests and consecrated persons to people in marriage, public service, politics, education and other professions.
“You will be required to do that in your marriage. You’ll be required to do that in your civil service. You’ll be required to do that in your political service.”
According to the Archbishop, following Christ requires people to be willing to sacrifice their comfort, material well-being and personal ambitions for the good of others.
The Archbishop urged priests and consecrated persons to examine their own lives and consider whether they had truly embraced the sacrifices associated with their vocations.
“You know, we priests and religious, sometimes we think the day I made my vows or I made my promise, that was the end of the story. That was the beginning of the carrying of the cross.”
He also challenged the congregation to learn from the example of the earlier sisters and assess whether their own service had matched the commitment of those who came before them.
“When we look back at the past, what is it that the earlier sisters did that we must do more and better?”
He questioned whether improvements in technology and other modern advantages had led to better service or encouraged people to become comfortable.
“Whether you and I like it or not, we have better technology. We have better, there are examples and everything. Are we doing any better or we become comfortable in our own little corner?”
‘Martyrdom is the true measure of our calling’
Drawing on the biblical image of the grain of wheat that must fall to the ground and die to bear fruit, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle urged Christians to die to selfish ambitions and personal preferences so that their lives could bear fruit in service to others.
“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by a single grain. And I asked myself, have I myself died? I’m trying. You too try.”
He stressed that the call to sacrifice applies to everyone, regardless of their state of life or position in society.
“Martyrdom is the true measure of our calling,” he declared.
The Archbishop urged the congregation to carry the message of the anniversary into the years ahead, making service and sacrifice central to its mission.
“To make 20 more years better than it has been, it would require of you and me martyrdom, service, selfless service, self-sacrificing service, self-immolation service.”
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