To the 15th Past Grand Lady of the Ladies of Marshall, care and love for all should underline the principles of mankind in line with the teachings of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Encouraged by this spirit, nurtured by her parents of blessed memory, she continues to walk the talk.
Born on December 8, 1936, the feast of Immaculate Conception of Mary, Mother of Christ, MRL Sister Amofah attended the Roman Catholic Girls School, St. Benedict, Kumasi from1943 to 1951. She proceeded to the Holy Child School, Cape Coast from 1952 to 1958 where she obtained her Cambridge School Certificate.
Her love for reading and desire to help nurse up the future of the many unfortunate children in her locality, prompted her to take up Librarianship as a profession starting as a professional Children’s Librarian at the Ashanti Regional Library from 1959 to 1960. She was instrumental in organising mobile library vans to schools lacking the facility, provided assistance to the children in their reading development and thus interested them in making reading a hub of their lives. Fancy young readers trooping to visit her on hearing she sick.
In 1960, she moved on to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi as the Assistant Librarian for the Undergraduate Section and later to the Faculties of Agriculture and Engineering where she started the Graduate and Undergraduate Libraries until 1976. From 1976 to 1985, she continued her career as a Librarian at the Animal Research Institute, Accra. She however returned to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology holding positions at the main library and essentially helping to build upon the foundation she had laid. Her distinguished career as a librarian catapulted her as an Associate and later Fellow of the British Library Association.
Her retirement did not make her to relax. She was particularly determined to apply her expertise and experience to the wider community. Everywhere she went, she opened new libraries to aid the development of literacy and broader educational opportunities for the community. Among these are the establishment of libraries at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Primary School, the KNUST Community Centre Library, the KNUST Catholic Chaplaincy, the St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Amakom and the Apatrapa Catholic School.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CHURCH
MRL Sister Amofah, twice recipient of Papal Blessings and a recipient of Papal Communion during Pope John Paul’s visit to Ghana in 1980, has made diverse contributions to the Church and has served in various capacities. As a member of Christ the King Parish in Accra from 1974 to 1985 when the family relocated to Accra, she contributed physically and spiritually in the effort to build the Church Parish Hall and played a lead role in the formation of Marshallan Association.
In Kumasi, she once served as a member of the Congregation Planning Committee; member of the National Committee of Eucharistic Congress held in Tamale; Secretary and President of Theresians of St, Peter’s Basilica and Secretary of the Christian Mothers Association during its formative years.
JOURNEY IN THE NOBLE ORDER
As a member of the Thais Lodge, one of the three Catholic societies which eventually formed the Ladies of Marshall, she played a major role in making it a formidable force, serving as unofficial Secretary and later as official Secretary in 1964.
She was key in the discussions which eventually led to the formation of the Ladies of Marshall in December 1969 and was present at the inauguration of the first Grand Court meeting held in 1972.
In 1987, she was appointed Assistant Grand Secretary; Grand Secretary in 1994; Deputy Grand Lady in 2002 and Grand Lady from 2002 – 2004. During her period as Grand Lady, she set out broad guidelines for the growth of the Ladies of Marshall encouraging sisters, among other things, to intensify their charitable works, to help those eager to better their education and help grow the junior order.
During her tenure, relationship between the Knights and Ladies of Marshall was strengthened with the institution of joint programmes of activities in the interest of the Noble Order, the setting up of the Grand Court Secretariat and provision of regalia, gowns and vitally needed paraphernalia.
The trip she will forever remember was the one she made in the company of PSKs, Sir Kts Bros Ing. Samuel Barnes and James Augustine Adomako to the then war –torn Liberia.
Outside the Church and the Noble Order, she has served in various capacities; a lay Magistrate at the Juvenile Court, Kumasi from 1970 to 1976; Chairperson, Subcommittee for Library Affairs of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi; Executive Member- Secretary, Kumasi Children’s Home, 1970- 1976; and member of the National Planning Committee of the Catholic University at Fiapre, Sunyani (Library Affairs).
MRL Sister Amofah, a mother of four, nine grand children, advised the new generation of Marshallans to continue to show leadership by example, carry out their assignments without complaint, live above board and avoid, anger and malice at all times.
She wants “to sit back now to enjoy the fruits of the mustard seed she had help to sow with prudent and humble contributions, grown and spread into a shady tree, where women of high distinction and men of substance, not excluding the clergy and the religious, have refuge.”
Hobbies: Reading, family and marriage counseling, counseling the youth and providing guidance to Church and students societies.
WRITE-UP BY Sir Kt FRANCIS FRITZ ANDOH WITH ADDITIONAL FILE BY RL SISTER MARY MARKHAM