He was a shining legacy of prayer

Page 19: March 31, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE death of Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery on March 6, 2008, two months to his 90th birthday, has drawn the curtain on the distinguished life of an eminent son of the church and nation.
Pope Benedict XVI described him as “a shining legacy of prayer, humble obedience to the will of God and love of neighbour”.
The body of the man, described as a pilgrimage along the way of duty and devotion to God, would be laid to rest in Tamale, on Tuesday, April 1, 2008, where a state burial would be held in his honour.
Prior to that a vigil mass would be held at the Jubilee Park on March 31, 2008, at 5 p.m.
Cardinal Dery was born at Nandom in the Upper West Region on May 10, 1918.
In 1932, he was among the first 12 people to be baptised in the then North-West Gold Coast. He was sent together with a group of students to Navrongo where he proved to be an excellent student in 1934.
After completing the primary programme, he expressed the wish to study for the priesthood. He was accepted into the seminary and on February 11, 1951, he became the first Dagao in the Gold Coast to be ordained priest.
When the Wa Diocese was created in 1959, Cardinal Dery was ordained as its first Bishop. He was transferred and enthroned Archbishop of Tamale in 1975, retiring in 1994.
In the history of the Catholic Church in the Upper West Region, Cardinal Dery held the title of “five times first”, being the first baptised Dagao, the first Dagao priest, the first Dagao Bishop, first Dagao Archbishop and first Dagao Cardinal.
Cardinal Dery’s belief in education as the gateway to economic development led him to open almost all the educational institutions in the Upper West Region and personally sponsored the education of many Ghanaians across the country, some to overseas universities.
St Francis Xavier Minor Seminary in Wa, the St Anne’s Vocational Institute at Nandom for women, the Nandom’s Boys Secondary School, Nandom Vocational School for Boys and the St Basilide’s Vocational School at Kaleo were among some of the educational institutions that Cardinal Dery established as well as the St Francis of Assisi Girls’ Secondary School at Jirapa, where he was a founding father.
Many of the students are serving the nation and beyond as clergymen, religious, medical doctors, university lecturers, educationists, engineers, journalists, lawyers, businessmen and women.
As a development oriented leader, Cardinal Dery was also concerned about the health, water and sanitation needs of the flock he led. The Nandom Hospital was completed under him in 1965 as well as many clinics and dispensaries.
Cardinal Dery was also christened Moses by some of the faithful who witnessed his gift of spotting water in very dry lands with his “stick”. In the midst of the thirsty people crying for water, he personally went round local communities showing where boreholes and wells could be dug to provide portable water.
After his retirement in 1994, the Cardinal Dery Foundation for Human Development, was established in June 1999, to continue with the work of human promotion and integral development of the human person, which Cardinal Dery stood for.
Cardinal Dery is not only a pillar of the Catholic Church in northern Ghana but an epitome and embodiment of Christianity.
In apparent anticipation of Vatican II, Cardinal Dery began the African indigenisation of the Liturgy by translating it into the languages of the local people in Ghana, composing hymns, introducing the use of local music on native instruments such as the xylophone.
He would be remembered for starting the Partnership Programme between the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province and the Munster Diocese of Germany in 1984. Under the programme, each parish in the Tamale Province has a twin-parish in Germany to encourage exchange of visitors and fosters development.
Thus, his elevation to the position of Cardinal in 2006 at the age of 87, was a perfect example of honouring a hero while he was still alive.
He was also honoured by the state with the Order of the Star of Ghana in 2006.
In the words of the Bishop of Wa, Most Rev Paul Bemile, “from paganism to installation as a Roman Catholic Cardinal, the life of Cardinal Dery can be described as a pilgrimage along the way of duty and devotion to God”.
He described him as a gallant, fearless, faithful and dedicated patriach who had many many people what they are today.????
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev Charles Palmer-Buckle, said Cardinal Dery had time for everybody irrespective of one’s social status.
“I count myself as one of the many sons and daughters of Cardinal Dery who has benefited from his direction,” he added.