MCP 2020: Prestea Catholic School, Ghana
On this page you'll find information about Group 25: Prestea Catholic School in Ghana, West Africa
Mission Appeal Video
Please click here to view the mission appeal video from Fr. James Arthur of Prestea Catholic School.
Mission Appeal Text
Mission Appeal Images
Below are some images from the mission group.
(If you are a parish representative and would like the images emailed to you, please contact wmo@archmil.org)
To download the image files (.jpg format), please do the following:
On a PC
- Hover your mouse over the name link under Image Description (orange text to the left of the thumbnail)
- Right click on your mouse and choose, "Save Link Target As" or "Save Link As"
- Your file directory will open up
- Choose where you wish to save the file
On a Mac
- To open a new tab of the image, simply click on the name link (orange text to the left of the thumbnail) -or-
- To open a new window of the image, hold down the Shift key as you click on the file name link
- Then, in the new tab or window, under the File menu, choose "Save Page As" to save the file to your computer.
Donation Link
We now offer a secure, online system to process your MCP donation. To donate by credit card or check to the MCP appeal for Group 25: Prestea Catholic School, Ghana, click here.
If you prefer to donate at Mass or through your parish, please make your check payable to your parish and mark the memo MCP Group 25. Please contact your parish office directly to inquire how to turn in your check.
Mission Appeal Text
Prestea Catholic School is situated in the Old Mining Town that was started in 1928 in the Western Region of Ghana, West Africa. The mining brought people from all over the country to Prestea due to creation of employment. The growth in population necessitated the need for education, and the Society for African Missionaries brought priests to take care of souls coupled with education. They started first to build a school and to worship in the classrooms on Sundays before the Church was built. This school educated many doctors, bishops, priests, lawyers and other varieties of vocations. These included my Late Bishop Charles Sam of Sekondi–Takoradi Diocese, who sent me to La Crosse Diocese; Dr. (Deacon) Anthony Mensah (Milwaukee) of blessed memory; and myself. When Archbishop Listecki was my Bishop in La Crosse, I took him to Ghana for a visit and we went to see my old dilapidated school. He could not believe this was the school I attended. Then he told me to build a new school. When we returned to USA, after a couple of months, he was made the Archbishop of Milwaukee. But hope was alive and on my Silver Jubilee to the Priesthood, my St. Paul Church parishioners asked me what I wanted as a gift and I told them I needed a new Catholic School at Prestea. They built the first floor of 6 classrooms, and I came to do appeals in the Archdiocese and I am finishing another floor of 6 classrooms. I now have to do this appeal for the third floor (and the) Principal’s Office, Staff Common Room, Dining Hall for the Students, Restrooms, etc.
I have the fervent hope that this appeal will enable me to complete the above, and, with the present pandemic, (to make the school) a safe environment, (which is) a lot of work now.
I express my heartfelt gratitude to our Archbishop Jerome Listecki, the Mission Office and parishes and individuals who have helped the school reach this far. God bless you all abundantly.
Fr. James Arthur
All Saints / St. Martin De Porres Parishes.