50 dedicated years of service to God, the Catholic Church and humanity, and Rev. Fr. Andrew Joseph Campbell, has laicised. At a farewell Mass for him and the 70th Anniversary of the Christ the King Catholic Parish in Accra, the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, described Fr. Campbell as gift from God to better the lives of man on earth.
Before his retirement at 75, he had served as the Parish Priest of the Christ the King Parish for 12 years.
One year after his ordination as a catholic priest in December 1970 in Dublin-Ireland, Rev. Fr. Andrew Joseph Campbell was posted to Ghana as a missionary priest under The Society of the Divine Word (SVD).
Since then Fr. Campbell has served in many Catholic Parishes in Accra, including, the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, St. Peter’s Parish, Osu, Sacred Heart Parish Accra, where he established the Sacred Heart Vocational Institute. The last Parish he served at was Christ The King Parish in Cantonments.
For his 50-years of priesthood service Fr. Andrew Campbell, undertook lot of humanitarian activities, especially for the less privileged. These include establishing the Lepers Aid committee in 1993 to care for the leprosarium in Weija, Ho, Nkanchina and Kokofu. The Christ The King Soup Kitchen is another of Fr Campbell?s initiatives for less street children and the homeless.
In 2013, Fr. Andrew Campbell acquired Ghanaian citizenship with the local name Nii Lantey.
The farewell Mass coincided with the 70th Anniversary of the Christ The King Parish, Christened “Celebrating Our Faith and Love, Doing Something Beautiful for God”.
Special guests at the service included the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, wife of the Vice President, Mrs Samira Bawumia, Council of State Member Mr Sam Okudzeto, Mrs Matilda Amissah Arthur, Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey, both present and former Ministers of State among others.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell, says he cherishes all memories, and though he is retiring, his work for humanity has not come to an end.
The Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, expressed Ghana’s appreciation to Fr. Andrew Campbell, for his 50-years of dedication to Ghana.
Dr. Bawumia donated 100,000 cedis and a Kente Cloth on behalf of President Akufo-Addo to Fr. Andrew Campbell and 50,000 cedis to the Christ The King Parish on their 70th Anniversary.
