A Thanksgiving Mass was held on 18th December, 2016 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tamale to celebrate and honour Bro. Dr. Elias N.K. Sowley, the Deputy Grand Knight of Council 27 who was recently promoted from Senior Lecturer to an Associate Professor by the University for Development Studies (UDS).
Scores of High Officers of the Noble Order including Sir Kt. Bros. Thomas Wedjong, Chief C.N. Kasei, Timothy Kipo, Isidore Ampah, Worthy Bro. Vitus Ayingayure, RGK, RL Sisters Patricia Dunenye, Rose Kasei, Mary Kyiu and Fidelia Benebere, RNL were in attendance.
Also present were Worthy Brothers, Past Grand and Noble Advisors, Grand and Noble Advisors, Past Grand Knights and Noble Ladies, Grand Knights and Noble Ladies as well as rank and file members of the Noble Order from Councils 27 and 102 and Courts 12 and 102.
Additionally, staff of UDS, friends and well-wishers of the Brother Professor, as well as the lay faithful attended the highly patronized Mass which was officiated by Rev. Fr. Christopher Beyuo, the outgoing Parish Priest.
In his homily, Rev. Fr. Beyuo commended Bro. Prof. Sowley for his perseverance and faith in God who has finally rewarded him saying “if you have faith in God, he will grant onto you, what you deserve in his own time”.
He therefore entreated all gathered to emulate Bro. Prof. Sowley who prayerfully waited for his long-over-due promotion and was duly rewarded with three positions in quick succession, namely his election as Deputy Grand Knight of Council 27, Chairman of the Tamale Archdiocesan Laity Council and now, his promotion to Associate Professor.
Bro. Prof. Sowley, gave an offering of a white ram to the Church as a token of his appreciation to God for his manifold blessing bestowed onto him.
Later in the day, he hosted Marshallans, priests, parishioners, well-wishers, friends and staff of UDS to a reception at his house.
A plant pathologist by profession, Bro. Prof Sowley is a graduate from the University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana and University of Reading in England where he completed his PhD. studies in 2007.
An employee of UDS since 2001, he rose through the ranks first as Lecturer in the Department of Agronomy in the Faculty of Agriculture for nine years and later promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2011 until his promotion to Associate Professor on 29th November, 2016.
Bro. Prof. Sowley is a member of several professional bodies including the British Society for Plant Pathology American Phytopathological Society, Canadian Phytopathological Society, Ghana Institute of Horticulturists, Ghana Science Association. He is also a fellow of the Ghana Institute of Horticulturists.
He holds or once held several positions in academia, the Catholic Church and in the Knights of Marshall.
Currently, he is the Director of the Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance and member of the Academic Board of UDS. Other positions he once held are Co-ordinator, Postgraduate programmes, Faculty of Agriculture, Acting Head of Department and later substantive Head, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture.
A parishioner of Sacred Heart Church, Bro. Prof. Sowley is the current Chairman of his Parish’s Laity Council, a position he has been holding since 2014 and on 26th November, 2016, was elected Chairman of the Tamale Archdiocesan Laity Council.
Bro. Prof. Sowley was initiated into the Noble Order of the Knights of Marshall on 10th March, 2012 and elected Deputy Grand Knight of Council No. 27 on 22nd October, 2016.
Prior to his election as DGK, he was Secretary of Finance, Assistant Secretary of Finance, Special Dues Collector and member of the Advisory Board since 2014 to date. He also acted as Guard on a number of occasions.
He is married to Sis. Rachel W. Sowley of Court No. 12, Tamale, and they have four sons one of whom, Callistus, like his father, is the Deputy Grand Knight of the Junior Order, 14J Queen of Heaven, OLA Cathedral, Tamale.