The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has directed all priests in the country to celebrate a Holy Mass every year on March 7 to pray for the beatification of the late Cardinal Peter Porekuu Dery. The initiative is a concerted effort by the Church in Ghana to advance the cause of the revered Ghanaian clergyman toward sainthood.
In a pastoral directive, the President of the GCBC, Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, called on the faithful to unite in prayer, “asking the Lord to grant the grace of his beatification.” The annual Mass is intended to be a focused spiritual appeal for a miracle attributed to the Cardinal’s intercession, a crucial requirement for him to be declared “Blessed.”
Cardinal Dery, who served as the first Archbishop of Tamale, passed away on March 6, 2008, at the age of 89. The decision to hold the annual Mass on March 7 places it in proximity to the anniversary of his death, a traditional time for remembering and praying for the departed in the Catholic faith.
The Path to Sainthood
The formal process to investigate the life and virtues of Cardinal Dery began over a decade ago. Following a formal request from the Church in Ghana in June 2013, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints granted the “nihil obstat” (meaning “nothing stands in the way”) on July 13, 2013. This crucial approval gave Cardinal Dery the title “Servant of God,” marking the first official step on the path toward possible sainthood.
The diocesan phase of the investigation was officially opened on May 9, 2015, in the Archdiocese of Tamale. During this phase, a tribunal was tasked with gathering extensive documentation about his life, ministry, and reputation for holiness, as well as collecting testimonies from witnesses who knew him. By June 2016, investigators had interviewed 45 witnesses across several dioceses, including Tamale, Damongo, Yendi, Navrongo-Bolgatanga, and Wa.
This meticulous investigation aims to determine whether Cardinal Dery lived a life of “heroic virtue.” If the Vatican confirms this, he would be declared “Venerable.” For beatification—the next step, which grants the title “Blessed”—the Church must approve a miracle attributed to his intercession after his death. A second miracle would be required for canonization, or sainthood.
A Life of Historic Firsts
Cardinal Peter Porekuu Dery was born on May 10, 1918, at Zimuopare (Ko), near Nandom in the Upper West Region. He was ordained a priest on February 11, 1951, becoming the first indigenous priest from the Upper West Region.
His episcopal journey began when he was appointed the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Wa on March 16, 1960. He was a pioneer of liturgical inculturation, integrating local traditions into church worship, and founded numerous schools and a minor seminary to foster education and local vocations.
His leadership expanded in 1972 when he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Tamale, a role he held alongside his duties in Wa until he was made Bishop of Tamale in 1974. When the Diocese of Tamale was elevated to an Archdiocese in 1977, he became its first Archbishop. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1994.
In recognition of his lifelong service to the Church, Pope Benedict XVI created him a cardinal in a consistory on March 24, 2006. Cardinal Dery died two years later, on March 6, 2008, in Tamale.
The annual Mass on March 7 is now seen as a vital spiritual tool to keep his memory and legacy alive while formally petitioning for the grace needed to see him elevated to the altars.
