Though children dream of practising preferred professions in future, this is often not possible in many instances. However, Rev Fr Col. Matthias Dismas  Kwame Kumesi (rtd), a Catholic Priest and former Military Chaplain of the Ghana Armed Forces has been able to attain his childhood dreams of becoming a Catholic Priest and a Military Officer. 

Recalling his early life as a tiny school boy at Baglo in the Oti Region of Ghana, he set out his plans to become a Catholic Priest to follow the footsteps of his maternal uncle, the late Rev Fr Anastasius  Dogli, the first Black African Catholic Priest in West Africa who was ordained on July 22, 1922.     

According to him, the lifestyle of Rev Fr Dogli inspired him to the extent that his greatest desire was to also become a Catholic priest no matter the obstacles.

Additionally, his encounter with soldiers who served in the Second World War and later came on operation in his region, gave him the urge to  study hard to become a military officer as an alternative profession should the first choice fail.   

After his priestly ordination in June 1962, he was posted to Ho and later to Jasikan.  In January 1965, while still serving at Jasikan, Bishop Anthony Konnins, the then Catholic Bishop of Keta – Ho Diocese informed him that he had been nominated for further studies in France slated for September 1965.

However, when Bishop Anthony Konnins visited the parish at Jasikan to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation, he told him that the original plan had changed and that he would no longer go to France but to be enlisted in the military.            

When asked how he got selected to enlist in the Ghana Armed Forces (GFA), he said the GAF made a formal request to the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference to nominate a chaplain to serve in the army.

He said the Archbishop of Cape Coast, John Kodwo  Amissah  who was  the President of the Ghana Bishops’ Conference at the  time and his  former lecturer at the St Peter’s Regional Seminary, Cape Coast,  knew him very well so the Archbishop , handpicked him to fill the vacant position.

Rev Fr Col Kumesi explained that Archbishop Amissah then asked Bishop Anthony Konnins to release him to enlist in the military which he complied, thus fulfilling his second childhood dream of becoming a military officer.                

He said he was the first military chaplain to be commissioned in 1966 into the Ghana Armed Forces in 1966 and his batch was the last to be commissioned by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana, before his overthrow.

He explained that the chaplains who were his predecessors had no formal military training. Rather, they were brought in and given the uniform to function as chaplains.

After his commission, he was posted to the 6th Battalion of Infantry, Takoradi, where he served under the late General Ignatius Kutu  Acheampong, the then Commanding Officer of 6BN, who later became the Head of State of Ghana.

Infancy/Education

Rev Fr Col MDK Kumesi was born on October 31, 1933, at Baglo in the Oti Region to Mr Akute Kumesi, a traditional priest and Madam Agnes Mawuwor. However, his father was baptised when he fell sick before he died.        

Due to few schools in those days, his parents arranged for him to stay with the late Mr Gabriel Ekudi, a teacher at Lolobi to enable him to attend Standards One and Two in 1942.  

In 1947, Mr Gabriel Ekudi was transferred to Likpe Mate and little Kumesi had to continue Standards Three, Four and Five there.

He once again had to move to Hohoe Roman Catholic School in 1950 to continue with Standards Six and Seven.

He entered the St Teresa’s Minor Seminary at Amisano in 1956 to study Philosophy and through to St Peter’s Regional Seminary at Pedu,  all in Cape Coast with his mates as the pioneer students.

Training

Commenting on the training of young priests these days, he said things  have changed because  at their time the Rector read the letters of all seminarians and those who received letters written by their  girlfriends were given outright dismissal from the seminary.           

Col Kumesi retired from the military on March 20 1989 and was posted to Tetema where he spent 10 years shepherding the flock.

He was again posted to Baglo his hometown where he spent another 10 years before he was finally retired as a priest.

Though retired as a priest, he still says mass at St Ann Catholic Church, one of the outstations of St Theresa Catholic Church, at  Ntwanta.

By Raymond Kyekye