Postal Address: St. John the Baptist Rectorate
P.O. BOX 88, Ofoase Kokobin, Bekwai Ashanti, Ghana West Africa.
Office Contact: 0246087191
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Pastor Rev. Fr. Henry Nuako Quaicoe
Catechist: Mr. Michael Owusu Baah
Sunday Masses: 7:00am Outstation 9:00 am Main Station
Weekday Masses: 5: 30am- Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. 7:00 pm Thursdays
Benediction:
Confession:
Outstations:
Daa: St. Andrews Catholic Church.
Anwiakwanta: St. Anthony Catholic Church.
Senfi: St. Anthony Catholic Church.
Dominase: St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Short History:
The St John the Baptist Catholic Church is the oldest church in Ofoase Kokobin and was brought into existence in the year 1927. It was established by some natives of the town.
Opanin Joseph Kofi Ntooso and Opanin Peter Yaw Brobbey were both carpenters who journeyed to Assin Kshea for a business transaction in 1920. Whiles they were there, they were introduced to the Catholic faith by their landlord.
As time went on, these two men developed a great love for the Catholic church. After spending some years at Assin Kushea, Opain Kofi Ntooso and Opanin Yaw Brobbey decided to come back to their place of origin. After their return, they introduced their new found faith to their people.
They were soon joined by Opanin Francis Kwaku Gyekye, George Yaw Siri, Joseph KwasiPanin, Anthony Barima, Mary Afua Kesse, Cecilia Afua Donkor and few others. As a place of worship, a small building was put up at the Ofoase Kokobin town around 1927. The church then became an outstation of Bekwai Parish with Rev. Fr. H. Smelda as the parish priest.
Few years later, with the help of Opanin Joseph Acheampong, Opanin Robert Atta Kwaku, Mary Mensah, Mary Adoma and Anna Akosua Bio, another church was established at the then Kokobin. This was also under the governance of Rev. Fr. H. Smelda, the then Parish Priest of Bekwai.
Ofoase and Kokobin were both under the tutelage of Nana Kwadwo Appiah. In the year, 1952, the chief in consultation with the elders of the two towns merged the two towns to form Ofoase –Kokobin. It became necessary to get a common place of worship for the people who worshipped as Catholics at Ofoase and at Kokobin. So with the help of the then Parish Priest of Bekwai, Rev. Fr. H. Smelda, a church building was put up in 1956. Opanin Francis Gyekye became the first church president, Mr. Thomas Opoku the secretary, James Bosompim, the catechist and Madam Afua Fofie the treasure. This new building was blessed and inaugurated by Most Rev. Peter Akwasi Sarpong, the then bishop of Kumasi in 1970. The bishop named the church after St John the Baptist. This has served as a worshipping place for the faithful at Ofoase Kokobin from 1956 to this day.
In 1978, Most Rev. bishop Peter Akwasi Sarpong created Jacobu as a new Parish and asked Ofoase Kokobin and other stations like Poano, Behenase and some others to join the newly created Parish. The other stations were hesitant but Ofoase Kokobin agreed and hence became an outstation of Jacobu which had Rev. Fr. Bert Brown as the Parish Priest. Some years later, Rev. Fr. Bert Brown decided not to go to Ofoase Kokobin again with the reason that it was very distant from Jacobu and the only station at that area. This therefore sent the church at Ofoase Kokobin back to Bekwai. With the creation of Poano as Parish in 1994, Ofoase Kokobin became an outstation with Rev. Fr. Amponsah Poku as Parish Priest.
In 2021, Most Rev. Bishop Yaw Afoakwah, created Ofoase Kokobin as a rectorate which has four outstations (Daa, Anwiakwanta, Senfi and Dominase) under it. It was headed by Rev. Fr. Gabriel Adanse Fodjour from March 2021 to September 2023. Currently, Rev. Fr. Hennery Nuako Quaico is the new Parish Priest who took over Rev. Fr. Adanse Fodjour in October 2023.