Koforidua (Eastern Region) 20 April 

The Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, the Right Reverend Charles G. Palmer-Buckle on Sunday launched the construction of a Diocesan Pastoral Training Centre, estimated at more than one billion cedis, in Koforidua

The centre would have an administration block, a library, a conference complex with an auditorium, seminar and meeting halls, hostel facilities, a chapel, a dining/kitchen complex and prayer gardens.

Bishop Palmer-Buckle explained that the centre would serve as a venue for spiritual and human development in furtherance of the church's evangelisation mission.

Facilities at the centre would be made available not only to Catholics but to all groups and associations whose aims and objectives would not conflict with the goals of spiritual and human development.

Bishop Palmer-Buckle announced that the Diocese had already purchased a plot to be developed into a Diocesan secretariat at a cost of 350 million cedis.

He mentioned that the six-year old diocese has the provision of a number of educational and health institutions. It has a water and sanitation programme under which it would dig wells and a brick and tile making project.

Income-generating ventures such as oil palm plantations, palm oil and palm kernel oil extraction and gari processing factories, tie-and-dye, beads and batik making projects for women will be included.

An appeal for funds yielded 63 million cedis. Mr Boateng pledged to donate 100 bags of cement.