Founded: 22 November 2020  |  Founder & Chaplain: Fr. Kouamé René Dan Yao, SMA (Ivorian-born, ordained 2018)  |  Website: stmartindeafministry.org

Initially based at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Ashale Botwe, Accra; now also active in Kumasi. The ministry was described by the SMA Provincial Superior as a way to remedy the long-standing neglect of deaf faithful in the Church's pastoral care.

Key Activities

• Weekly Sunday Mass celebrated in Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) by Fr. René — emphasizing integrated worship rather than separate Masses
• Catechism, sacramental preparation (baptism, confirmation, marriage counselling), and spiritual accompaniment for deaf Catholics
• Sign language courses for hearing parishioners and community members to bridge the communication gap
• Advocacy and awareness campaigns about the reality of deaf people within the Catholic community and wider Ghanaian society
• Social encounters, creative projects, and educational programmes for deaf participants

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, invited Fr. René to interpret Mass in sign language for media broadcast, raising national awareness and giving momentum to the ministry.

The ministry has grown from a small group under a tree near the church to a structured programme with an eight-member executive committee, including deaf members. Fr. René was recently elected as a Provincial Councillor of the SMA Ghana Province (2025), demonstrating the institutional importance placed on this ministry.

Location: Asuoyeboa, Kwadaso Municipality, Kumasi  |  Executive Director: Fr. René Dan Yao, SMA (appointed 2023)

The JCTC operates on a model where deaf and hearing entrepreneurs rent workshops with tools and commit to hiring deaf trainees, fostering inclusion and economic independence.

Activities

• Vocational training in trades such as dressmaking, crafts, and other practical skills under the supervision of master trainers
• "Soft skills" training — labour market readiness, communication, and life skills
• Income generation through the "Sign of Silence Hostel" (room rentals) and a meeting hall for church services and community events
• Graduation ceremonies and certification for apprentices who complete training cohorts

The goal is for the centre to become a sustainable meeting point for deaf and hearing communities, fostering inclusion and economic independence.

Founded: 1986  |  Founder: Fr. Jean Thebault, SMA (French missionary)  |  HQ: Bethany House, Accra  |  Status: Registered NGO with the Government of Ghana

Hope for Life was founded to address the plight of people living with physical disabilities who are abandoned by their families — often due to cultural beliefs that disability is a curse — and forced to beg on the streets of Accra and other cities.

Activities

• Outreach to streets of Ghanaian cities to identify and engage people with disabilities, offering them an alternative to begging
• Skills training and empowerment programmes to help members become financially independent
• Sponsorship of surgeries and medical treatment for those in need
• Advocacy campaigns in communities to challenge the stigma surrounding disability — promoting the message that "disability is not inability"
• Support groups, particularly for single mothers with disabilities, addressing issues of vulnerability
• Therapy programmes for children with cerebral palsy and autism

The project is deliberately led by people with disabilities themselves — the President, Administrator, and all 17 district Coordinators are persons living with disability. SMA seminarians from the Formation House in Sowutuom regularly visit Hope for Life as part of their pastoral formation.

Location: Oshuiman Estate, off the Pokuase–Awoshie Highway, Accra  |  Headmistress: Sr. Doris Benneh Gyan, OLA  |  Staff: 16 (10 teaching, 6 non-teaching)

The school was commissioned by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Most Rev. Henryk M. Jagodzinski, and the then SMA Provincial Superior, Very Rev. Fr. Paul Saa-Dade Ennin. Continuing the SMA's historic commitment to education that dates back to Fr. Moreau's first school in Elmina in 1881. The Papal Foundation, through the Apostolic Nunciature, provided foundational funding. The chiefs and people of Oshuiman, Landline Properties, and the Our Lady Queen of Africa community also contributed.

Highlights

• Started with 54 pupils, offering basic education (KG through primary)
• Focus on academic excellence, moral and spiritual formation, discipline, and innovation
• Learner-centred approach inspired by faith
• Activities include cadet training, cultural dances, poetry recitals, and choreography alongside the academic curriculum

The SMA Provincial Superior noted that the school continues the tradition where "in every village in southern and central Ghana where the SMA worked, an RC basic school was established."

Location: Sowutuom, Greater Accra  |  Renovated & Rededicated: 2018  |  Seminarians: ~42 (as of 2022)

The SMA Formation House in Sowutuom is the primary centre for training future SMA missionary priests in Ghana. Seminarians study philosophy and engage in pastoral activities as part of the SMA's international formation programme:

Formation Programme

• Philosophy studies in Ghana
• International Spiritual Year in Benin Republic or the Philippines
• Pastoral year in an African parish
• Theology studies in Kenya, Ivory Coast, or Nigeria
• Ordination in their home country

Pastoral Activities by Seminarians

• Hospital visitation — praying with the sick and offering spiritual support
• Catechism teaching in nearby parishes
• Visits to the SVD elderly priests' community
• Regular visits to the Hope for Life Centre for people with disabilities
• Youth ministry and vocation promotion

Location: Akokoamong, near Asokore Mampong, outskirts of Kumasi  |  Led by: Fr. Dennis Senyo Etti, SMA (then Vice-Provincial)  |  Status: Construction initiated; fundraising ongoing

The chiefs and people of Akokoamong donated the land. The clinic aims to provide essential healthcare services to the surrounding community, which currently has limited access to medical facilities.

Planned Services

• Outpatient medical consultations
• Maternal and child healthcare
• Laboratory and diagnostic services
• Pharmacy and medication dispensing
• Health education and community outreach

This project aligns with the SMA's long tradition of establishing healthcare institutions alongside their evangelization and educational work. The SMA has called for support from the wider community — both material contributions and prayers — to ensure successful construction and operation.

SMA Parishes in Ghana

• Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Kwashieman, Accra — One of the main SMA parishes in the capital
• Our Lady Queen of Africa Catholic Church, Oshuiman, Accra — The parish community closest to the SMA Provincial House (olaqacatholic.org)
• SMA Parishes in Winneba — Within the Diocese of Winneba, where the first African SMA priest (Fr. Michael Adrie) was ordained in 1992
• St. Paul Catholic Church, Adukrom, Kumasi — Where the 140th anniversary Thanksgiving Mass for Ashanti was held and Fr. Samuel Hagan was ordained in 2023
• Divine Redeemer Parish, New Amanful–Funkoe, Sekondi-Takoradi — Erected in 2018 with Fr. Emmanuel Andoh, SMA, as first Parish Priest, marking the SMA's return to the Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi
• Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Madina, Accra — Base for various SMA liturgical and community activities
• SMA Parish presence in Oku, Ashanti Region — A remote village where the SMA maintains a missionary presence

Through these parishes, the SMA provides sacramental ministry, catechesis, youth programmes, marriage counselling, lay formation, and community development. View all our parishes →

Key Activities

• Vocation animation visits to schools, universities, and parishes across Ghana (including KNUST, Opoku Ware School, St. Louis SHS, and others)
• Annual Vocation Camps at the SMA Provincial Headquarters (open to youth aged 12–30)
• Collaboration with the Catholic Vocations Directors and Directresses Association of Ghana (CAVDAG)
• Media outreach through the SMA's online platforms (beatasmaonline.com, YouTube channel, and social media)
• Youth retreats and mission animation programmes

As of 2022, the Province reported 42 seminarians in formation — evidence of the growing interest in missionary vocations among young Ghanaians.

Catholic Religious in Ghana, including SMA members, composed a prayer against galamsey and pledged to help fight the environmental and social damage caused by the practice.

Focus Areas

• Public statements and prayers calling for an end to illegal mining
• Raising awareness of the devastating impact on water bodies, farmlands, and communities
• Collaboration with other Catholic congregations and civil society organizations
• Promoting environmental stewardship as part of Catholic social teaching

This advocacy aligns with the SMA's broader commitment to justice, peace, and the integrity of creation — one of the strategic priorities of the SMA internationally.