Kumasi Archdiocese Marks Tremendous Assumption Celebration at Amakye Bare Grotto

By Dominic Duut

KUMASI – The Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi has marked this year’s Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a historic and spirit-filled celebration at the Our Lady of Fatima Grotto, Amakye Bare.

The celebration, which drew an unprecedented turnout that organizers described as unmatched in recent years, climaxed on Saturday, August 15, 2026, after a week-long programme of spiritual activities.

The grand finale began at dawn with a penitential pilgrimage walk from Ohwim, a suburb of Kumasi, to the Marian Shrine at Amakye Bare.

The shrine, whose history traces its name to the famed Fatima Grotto in Portugal, was filled to capacity as thousands of faithful cheered, adored and honoured the Mother of God.

The day’s activities included a solemn Rosary recitation, Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, culminating in a Pontifical Holy Mass at midday.

Delivering the homily, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, Most Rev. Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye, extolled the unique role of the Virgin Mary in salvation history and in the life of the Church.

Reflecting on Mary’s presence from the foot of the Cross to the Upper Room at Pentecost, Archbishop Anokye said:

“Into whose lap was Jesus given, if not Madam Mary? Who accompanied Jesus’ body to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, if not Madam Mary? Who was in the upper room praying for the descent of the Holy Spirit, and who was right in their middle? That person was in the middle, not at the corner, not at the periphery, but right in the middle.”

He referenced Revelation 12, describing Mary as “the woman clothed with the sun, with stars around her head, crushing the head of the devil,” and stressed that for over 2,026 years, Mary has continued to accompany the Church.

“Madam Mary yesterday. Madam Mary today. Madam Mary forever. Madam Mary for you. Madam Mary for me. Madam Mary for everybody,” the Archbishop declared to thunderous applause.

The Archbishop further highlighted the universal veneration of Mary across Christian traditions, including Orthodox iconography, and even the honour accorded her in the Holy Quran.

He reminded the faithful of the spiritual power of the Rosary, citing its promises.

“The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish,” he quoted, adding: “Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.”

In another exhortation, he described Mary as the first Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant who bore Christ for nine months, and as the Church’s powerful intercessor, referencing her intervention at Cana: “Do whatever He tells you.”

He recalled several Marian apparition sites worldwide and in Ghana, including Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Medjugorje, and local grottoes such as Amakom Bare, Obuasi, Asueyi in Techiman, Kato in Sunyani, Manfo in the Bono Region, Adagyem and Ejisu, as testimonies of Mary’s ongoing intercession.

In a pastoral appeal that touched on national concerns, the Archbishop prayed for Ghana, calling on the intercession of Mary for the sick, especially those on dialysis, and for the nation’s economic challenges.

The celebration came to a close with a special appeal for funds to support ongoing development projects at the shrine, including the construction of a Stations of the Cross and the drilling of a mechanized borehole to facilitate the effective running of the shrine.

Pilgrims departed with renewed devotion, echoing the day’s refrain: _Glory to Jesus, Honour to Mary.

Credit:Sr. Seraphine Ankrah, FST