Cardinal Dery Centenary Celebration Held In Tamale

The Tamale Archdiocese of the Catholic Church has held a pontifical mass to climax the celebration of the centenary for the servant of God, Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery.

Catholics from across the country and the world graced the celebration in Tamale.

Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery was ordained to the priesthood on February 11th , 1951, in the St. Theresa’s Church, Nandom, by Rt. Rev.Gerard Bertrand, Bishop of Tamale.

He was the first Catholic Priest from the Upper West Region of Ghana.

Peter Cardinal Dery died at the age of 90 in his residence in Tamale, on March 6, 2008, on the occasion of Ghana’s 51st Independence Day.

He was given a state funeral held at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium and was buried on April 1, 2008, in the Our Lady of the Annunciation Cathedral, Tamale where his mortal remains have been kept to date.

The servant of God is on his way to becoming the first Saint of the Catholic Church in Ghana.

The Cardinal Dery Foundation was established to provide access to education for underprivileged youth and women as well as providing healthcare support for deprived persons in various communities.

Addressing the congregation, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale and President of Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Phillip Naameh said Cardinal Dery had a deep appreciation for culture and sought to promote the cultural values of his people and Africans in general.

FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale