A five-member delegation from the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese is going to the Netherlands for the celebration of the 90th birthday of a Dutch Missionary, Rev. Fr. Francis Meddens who served in the Diocese in the 1960s and 1970s.
The delegation is being led by Rev. Msgr. Camillo Sarko of St. Peter Claver Parish, Binduri. He is representing Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta, Bishop of the Diocese. The other members of the delegation are four lay people – three males and a female.
While in the Netherlands, the delegation will participate in a meeting of a coalition of NGOs that have projects in the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese. This will be followed by a picnic to commemorate the birthday of Fr. Meddens on Saturday, May 20, 2017.
Fr. Meddens, first arrived in Ghana in 1965 to begin his missionary activities as a Lecturer in Religious Studies at Notre Dame Minor Seminary in Navrongo. Rev. Msgr. Sarko was one of his first Students.
The coming of Fr. Meddens to Ghana was the culmination of a visit to Ghana by his mother who was invited to Navrongo by the late Rev. Msgr. Alexis Abatey in the early 1960s when Fr. Meddens was a Seminarian in the Netherlands. Soon after his Ordination, Fr. Meddens opted to serve in Ghana
While teaching at Notre Dame, Fr. Meddens, who had passion for Agriculture had several vegetable gardens where he planted some fruit bearing trees and vegetables. He invited to Ghana his compatriot, Rev. Fr. Konings, an Agriculturalist who also got involved in large scale-farming in rice, corn and vegetable production to supplement the food requirements for the feeding of the students.
In order to inculcate his ideas in the youth, he engaged ten young boys – The Ten Garden Boys –on how to use compost/manure instead of chemical fertilizer on farms and gardens. These garden boys assisted Fr. Meddens in his gardens mostly during the week-ends. They were paid for their services.
He encouraged the planting of trees and the prevention of soil erosion in villages like Nayagenia, Nabaago, Kandiga and Sirigu. Fr. Meddens also constructed a number of wells and boreholes in some villages in the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese.
From Notre Dame, he served in Sirigu Parish where he combined Pastoral Ministry with socio-economic development projects and also teaching people improved Agricultural methods, particularly in tree-planting. He started, many years ago, a School Feeding Programme for deprived School children in selected Schools in the Diocese.
Fr. Meddens supported the construction of some Presbyteries, Convents and Centres of Charity in the Diocese. Recently, he built a Rectorate for St. Peter Claver Church at Binduri; and a fence wall for St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Bawku.
Through Fr. Meddens, a number of Dutch people such as Family Martin Van Den Tillaar, the A. Timmermans, the Van Dinters and the Benedictine Sisters in Valkenburg have become benefactors of many individuals and Parishes in the Diocese and beyond. There are others who have even formed NGOs under the Ghana-Netherlands Platform and Friends of Christopher.
Throughout his Priestly life, Fr. Meddens has used all his resources and the financial support of his family and friends for some development projects in the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese.
For these and many more not mentioned, we say Happy birthday. May the Good Lord bless you, and may you enjoy good health, wisdom and long life. Proficiat met je Verjaardag!!!
