Catholic Church

     The Basel Missionaries were the first to arrive in the hinterland of Northern Eweland. Records have it that by 1869, the Basel Mission was already established in Anum with Kpando District as one of the outstations. Soon after the early attempts of the Basel Mission to spread the Good News to the hinterlands, the Bremen Mission arrived at the invitation of Togbe Kodzo Dei, Paramount Chief of Peki Traditional Area.

     The mission work started by the Basel was gradually taken over by the new Bremen mission. The missionaries who were stationed in Peki moved from town to town spreading the Gospel. It was on one of such trips that they passed through Kpando to explore the possibility of starting a church there. During their first visit to Kpando, they lodged with one renowned and successful businessman, Togbe Nyinase of Kpando Aloyi.

     The missionary work grew and flourished and in December 26, 1889 the baptism of the early converts took place. They included: George Amanie and Abraham Hevor from Aziavi, John Akorsi Gruma from Abanu. Others were Robert Komlaga Asamany, Edward Komlakuma Asamany, Godfried Adzakosi, Samuel Ariku-Dale, Moses Afeku and Madam Sophia Asamany all of Kpando Fesi.

     It was not until November 1892 that the Evangelical Presbyterian Church was fully established at Kpando Gabi by Rev. Peter Hall. The Church, together with a school, started in a house at the place where the Vanet STC (State Transport Company) office now stands. A 15-acre plot was later acquired through the instrumentality of Togbui Aligidi of Kpando Tsakpe and Togbui Nyinase of Aloyi to build a permanent church and school at Kpando Kpodzi.

     The E. P. Church thus became the first Christian community to be started in Kpando. This development prepared the grounds for the warm reception of the Catholic missionaries into the Akpini State with the exception of Peki, which was under British administration.

     Northern Eweland formed part of the first German colony. Together with the Republic of Togo, the area came under the jurisdiction of the German government when Imperial Commissioner Dr. Gustav Natchigal concluded the Togoland Protectorate Treaty with King Mlapa on 5th July, 1884.

     The German colonial administration was galvanized by a successful trade in palm oi, coffee and other agricultural products. In boosting this trade, the Germans encouraged plantations of cocoa, coffee, cotton, teak, rubber and maize with Kpando, Avatime, Logba, Nyangbo, Anfoega, Baglo, Gbi-Hohoe and Peki serving as major centres of production. By the end of the 19th century, Kpando and Ho had become major political and missionary centres for the Germans. By 1912, Ho and Kpando, for example, were linked by a cart road and even had customs check points. A close up view of the Governor’s Residence at Kpando Todzi, built in 1890.

     The German District Officer (Governor) ruled Northern Eweland, including the Kpalime and Atakpame areas of the modern Republic of Togo from Kpando until the joint forces of Britain and France expelled the Germans from Togo late in 1914. The German Government embarked on a school programme in 1891 with a limited number of schools. A syllabus was drawn up to enable the locally trained people enter the service of Europeans. Instruction was provided in German and pupils were made to study the history and geography of the German Empire. For practical work, schools trained girls in domestic work, laundry work and farming while boys received instructions in carpentry, cabinet-making, smithing, boot making, tailoring, printing and book binding. After graduation, each student remained in the service of the German government for two years. Other schools trained pupils in cotton growing, brick-making connected to water supply and bridge – making the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) Fathers first arrived in German Togoland in 1890.

     Ten years later, in 1900, the SVD fathers, based in Kpalime, began to establish outstations in other parts of the territory. Their first point of call was the Ve Traditional Area, but they received stiff opposition from the chiefs and the people. as traditional practices and fetish worship were still the order of the day. After many unsuccessful attempts, the Fathers decided to turn to the Akpini State. But they needed to have a contact in the area for their evangelisation to take root and have credibility.

     Around this time, the legitimate trade which replaced the slave trade was the exchange of imported manufactured goods with locally produced cash crops like plamoil, rubber and coffee. Many Kpando citizens became very prominent and successful traders. This was possible because of the proximity of Kpando to Lome through Kpalime. Many citizens of Kpando, therefore, became the middlemen moving cash crops from the source of production in the hinterland to the market in Lome, from where the commodities were shipped to Germany.

     History has it that two brothers from the Avornyotse Family of Kpando Gadza, one Tsekpo and his brother, on one of their numerous business trips to Kpalime, lodged with a landlord. Tsekpo’s brother was however, taken seriously ill and within a few days had fallen into a coma. Sensing that Mr. Avornyotse could die in his house, the landlord ejected the two brothers and abandoned them to their fate in a banana grove. A good Samaritan informed the SVD Fathers of the rather precarious situation of Mr Avornyotse and without hesitation, the Fathers traced them to their abode and evacuated the dying man to a Catholic mission hospital run by Missionary Sisters in Kpalime. Mr. Avornyotse was soon nurtured back to good health. Thereafter, the German Missionary priest, Rev. Fr R. D. Ethart, taught them both about Jesus Christ and baptised them.

     Thekpo Avornyotse was given the name Leopold whilst his brother was christened Joseph. The Avornyotses soon returned to their native village. It must be noted that at this moment in history, Kpando Dzogbesianti, Gadza, Agudzi and Konda were one community living under the tutelage of Togbui Singoe of Dzogbesianti,

     Fr. Erhart took down their names and the location of their village and A corrugated iron – roofed house was readily made available for use by promised to visit them. The priest was said to have settled their hospital Togbui Nyinase of Aloyi. The priests, however did not stay long in Aloyi.

     The late night drumming coupled with the rather boisterous nature of the youth, demonstrated by the throwing of stones on their roof at night, The Fathers kept their word. When they decided to move from the Ve discouraged them area after many years of unsuccessful evangelisation Mr. Avornyotse naturally became their first contact point in Akpini.

     They decided to leave for a more peaceful location. They approached the Chief of Tsakpe, Togbui Aligidi | through the young German In 1900, the SVD Fathers arrived in Kpando Dzogbesianti, Mr. scholars at the time, namely Eusebius Klay, Agroe Amlado and John Avornyotse was on hand to welcome and receive them in. Their day of Dzide. In consultation with their elder Clan Head, Peter Krampa, they arrival coincided with the day the people were offering sacrifices to their convinced Togbui Aligidi to accept the Fathers and give them land for fetish called ‘Abo-Dayi’. The SVD priests were invited to take part in the settlement. ceremony; they willing consented. On the following Sunday, the priests equally invited the people of the village to participate in the first ever The land given was a fetish grove between present Gabi and Tsakpe Catholic Mass said in the Akpini State. The mass was celebrated in the v where a fetish called Kokowu (“The Tallest”) represented by a tall tree, compound of the late Singoe Adombor. The people did appreciate the stood. They started developing the land given them by building a living new way of worshipping God. It was not much different from their own V house and a small chapel. The first catholic school was opened in the traditional way of worship. They sat, stood up, genuflected and sat again same year. The small Christian community appointed Peter Krampah just as they would do in their fetish ceremonies.

     as the first Head Christian of their community with Eusebius Klay as the first catechist of the early church. John Dzide, Englebert Kumah and The Word of God landed on ‘fertile soil in the hearts of some of the William Anlode were some of the early teachers. These early teachers citizens of the village and a handful of them were baptised later on. had received their elementary school education at Kpalime and they Among such pioneers were Herman Kosihu of Dzogbesianti, Alfred Jos assisted in the early education of the early Church. In fact they were the Osai of Gadza, Maria Tiewa Awla, Petrus Nutsu, Maria Yawa Adzigbe, rallying point for convincing people to join the young church. Togbui Andreas Kosikuma and Magdalena Amegbe. With such converts the Aligidi showed support for the work of the missionaries by freely Catholic Church had begun in full swing in Kpando.

providing additional land for the new Catholic cemetery and church farm. After a period of time in Dzogbesianti, the SVD Fathers felt that it would be useful to move to a more central site or point in the Akpini State. Alayi After the construction of the mission house a bell was brought down was selected from Kpalime in 1906,carried on two poles by two volunteer carriers Mr. Boniface Kwame Gefia and Mr. Marcus Komla Gefia from Dzoanti, and Togbui Nyinase was contacted to host the priests because he was the others. This attracted a lot more people into the church. On the last leg! first successful businessman then to roof his house with iron-sheets and of the journey, Kumli Degbor, one of the volunteer carriers was bitten by also because he had preciously hosted the Presbyterian missionaries to a snake. The miraculous cure of the sick man convinced more people Kpando. Even though Togbui was already a baptised Presbyterian, he to join the Christian flock. This invariably helped in mobilising a strong wholeheartedly accepted the Catholic missionaries to his house on labour for the schools and the church. behalf of Akpinifiaga Togbui Anku Dagadu III. This young Christian community worked vigorously to expand the Catholic mission by canvassing for children to go to school and attend church services.

In less than five years, the missionary priests operating between Kpando and Kpalime (Togo) opened stations such as Gbi Bla, Fodome Xelu, Fodome Axo, Liati (all in 1902). The first outstation created among the Kpando towns was Kpando Dzogbesianti in 1903.

Around this time, the practice was that converts built their houses around the Church. Christian villages, therefore, started growing around the Catholic churches in all the villages and towns that received the church. This practice came about because the converts were warned never to participate in any pagan practice nor engage in any African traditional rituals. To avoid any contamination of their faith, converts moved their homes nearer the mission houses of priests. Gradually, even the former cemeteries of the people were abandoned by the Catholics and new Catholic cemeteries were created. Thus the Christians separated completely from the African traditional believers.

     With time, many towns around Kpando received the catholic missionaries. This became possible when in 1904, the SVD priest, Rev. Fr Anthony Witte, was sent from Lome to be the first resident priest in Kpando. With much zeal and sacrifice, he opened up more stations. Later on, other missionaries joined him and so Alavanyo Dzogbedzi, Sovie, Aveme, Danyigba and Wli were all opened. It must be noted that even though it was in 1904 that Rev. Fr. A. Witte resided in Kpando, records in the Baptismal Register of Kpando have it that he baptised people as early as 1903 in and around Kpando. This shows that he might have been one of the early missionaries who made the first visit to Kpando around 1900.

     The year 1907 saw the opening of new stations which included Agbenoxoe, Gbefi, Kudzra, Wusuta and Agbesia. In 1908, Leklebi Dafo, Nkonya, Tafi and Logba were added to the list of outstations under the missionaries in Kpando. In the following year, 1909, Alavanyo Deme and Anfoega Wademaxe were opened within the first ten years of the Kpando Church. Others added later included Vakpo (1911), Awate (1912) and Anfoega Akukome (1913).

     Statistics available show that Kpando was the first to be evangelised among the towns and villages in the central Volta Region. It received the Catholic faith even before Ho did in 1907. The enthusiasm among the converts of Kpando made the missionaries apply to Rome for some Sisters to be sent there.

     In 1912, convents of sisters were established at Keta and Kpando. When the First World War broke out in 1914, the pastoral work of the missionaries from Steyl was restricted. All missionaries were interned as prisoners-of-war and there was practically no progress in the area. Towards the end of 1917, the convent at Kpando was eventually closed and the German Fathers moved from Kpando and Bla.

     Bishop Hummel was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the British Togoland. Kpando, Bla and Ho stations were re-opened with the French Togoland becoming an independent ecclesiastical division.

     Even though the Kpando and other stations were reopened after the appointment of Bishiop Hummel, he had practically no priests to work with. As there were no priests to carry on the work, some reliable teacher catechists kept the Faith alive. Messers Eusebius Klay of Kpando, Francis Sika of Gbi-Bla, Emmanuel Lodonu of Atabu and Paul Kofi Vudu of Denu were the outstanding teacher catechists among many others. They led the faithful in prayer, baptized the sick the dying and children, witnessed marriages, taught catechism and buried the dead.

     In 1921 the SMA fathers began to arrive for the Keta Mission. The main stations of the SVD fathers, which were left unattended because Bishop Hummel had no priest, were under the care of SMA Fathers in Keta. This was how the Keta Diocese came under the missionary activities of the SMA. Rev. Father Thuet and Erhard thus became the first resident priests at Kpando after the departure of the SVD Fathers in 1917.

     On July 2, 1922, the first ever-native priest, very Rev. Father Anastasius Odai Dogli from Baglo-Buem was ordained a priest at Cape Coast and later on sent to Kpando the same year.

     During this period the Church grew, flourished and expanded. Eusebuis Klay, John Dzide and many other German scholars had to study English in order to fit into the new English schools. New teachers were soon recruited and appointed to take over from the German teachers. Mr. John Doh from Keta was the first Headteacher of the English primary school. Mr. Doboli from Kpando Gadza was recruited as a teacher around this same time.

     During the 17 years of hard work the Fathers of Steyl had succeeded in opening 22 stations around Kpando 15 around Gbi-Bla and nine around Ho.

     On the 15th of March, 1923, the Propagande Fide erected the Apostolic Vicariate of the Lower Volta, with Rev. Father Augustine Herman, SMA, 43, appointed as its first Bishop.

     This new vicariate comprised the five residential stations of Keta, Denu, Kpando, Bla (Hohoe) and Ho.

     RL Rev. Augustine Herman arrived at Keta as the first Bishop of the new vicariate on October 23, 1923. He worked from Keta and travelled as far as to Yendi on his missionary Journey. Many stations and schools were opened in the vicariate in 1926 the need for native priests was felt and a bold attempt was made by opening a minor seminary at Kpando, but it was short lived. in June of the same year, the Menton sisters arrived at Kpando to reopen the Convent

     In 1926 the need for native priests was felt and a bold attempt was made by opening a minor seminary at Kpando, but it was short lived. In June of the same year, the Menton Sisters arrived at Kpando to re open the convent.

     Eusebius Kodzokpo Klay: A prominent Kpando Teacher – Catechist. Acted as a “Catholic priest” between 1917 and 1921 when the German missionaries were moved from the missions