OUR HISTORY

THE HISTORY OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE MOST HOLY
TRINITY (FILIAE SANCTISSIMAE TRINITATIS-FST)

The Institute was founded by Most Rev. Peter Kwasi Sarpong, the
current Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi.
This was in realization of a long-envisioned dream of a man born and
bred in poverty, who has a deep love and compassion for the poor. He
nurtured this desire to alleviate the suffering of the poor in the villages
and responded to God’s call to become a priest through which means,
he thought, he could personally and directly minister to the poor. As a
priest, he could not respond satisfactorily to the long-standing heart
desire because he was assigned to do other tasks, and not long after, he
was chosen to lead his people as a bishop.
As a bishop, he saw the lack of adequate religious communities in the
diocese. There was no indigenous women religious Institute and the
only two international women religious Institutes, namely the Medical
Mission Sisters and Sisters of St. Louis. He seriously set about trying
to get other religious communities to join the existing ones. More
importantly, it was the Archbishop Emeritus’ desire to share his love
and vision for the poor with young women who would be willing to
share their lives with the poor.
The vision of the founder was that these women would reach out in
service and in love to the needy in the rural parts of the then Diocese of
Kumasi. The urgency and importance of this need was most evident by
the fact that the Kumasi Archdiocese, before the creation of Obuasi and
Konongo-Mampong Dioceses, covered a wide geographical area with
few priests. Therefore, many towns and villages in the most rural parts
of the Diocese had no resident priests. Given the few number of priests
in the then Diocese of Kumasi, he saw the spiritual poverty that rural
Catholic Christians endured. It is no exaggeration to say that at that
time some rural outstations had Mass once or twice a year. It was for
this reason that the founder envisioned and wanted women who would
be willing to go to these rural areas to minister to the spiritually and
materially needs of the people. Therefore, the founding of the FST
Institute fulfilled a dual purpose.

After much prayer and discernment, in accordance with his motto and
mission which is “Love is Unity” symbolized by two crocodiles with
one stomach depicted on his staff of office, and an expression of his
great love and devotion to the Trinity, the bishop gave the name
“Daughters of the Most Holy Trinity” to the Institute. More
importantly, he found the name very appropriate because as Daughters
of the Trinity, these young women will make real in their lives the love
and unity that exists in the three Divine Persons made manifest to God’s
people when Christ assumed our humanity. What better name for
people who would share their lives with the less privileged?
This name is closely connected to the spirit for this new foundation.
The Daughters of the Most Holy Trinity are called first and foremost to
a life of prayer that helps them strive to imitate the unity that exists
among the Three Divine Persons of the Trinity. The prayer of the Lord,
“that they may all be one as you and I are one” (Jn. 17:11), is our source
of inspiration. In this spirit, we rely on the providence of God the
Father, the salvation brought to all by God the Son and the inspiration
and communion of God the Holy Spirit.
We own and share joys and sorrows, victories and defeats, fulfillments
and disappointments, frustrations and achievements in our service of
our underprivileged sisters and brothers. We are prepared to live in the
rural areas where the need for the promotion of quality of life may be
greatest, having acquainted ourselves with a clear awareness of the
human conditions of the places where we minister. In this we will
imitate the Lord who “though he was divine, did not insist on his
divinity and equality with God but emptied himself to assume the
condition of a slave” (Phil. 2:6-7). So that with the help of the Holy
Spirit, we may assist the Church in the task of promoting holiness,
righteousness and destroying sin, and thus helping to build the
Kingdom of God which is a Kingdom of peace, holiness, unity, truth
and justice.
Difficulties are not uncommon in starting anything new. The founding
of the Daughters of the Most Holy Trinity was no exception. Who
would nurture and accompany the candidates? In the late 1970’s the

Archbishop had visited the Philippines and was attracted by the
simplicity of life and ministry of the Sisters of the Congregation of the
Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM). Their lifestyle, he believed, was
in accord with what he envisioned for his diocesan women religious.
Therefore he invited the RVM Sisters to come to Kumasi Archdiocese,
then a diocese, and help in the formation of the candidates.
Consequently, on 26th September 1984 Sr. Maria del Carmel Yap,
RVM, arrived in Ghana from the Philippines to begin the formation of
the candidates. Prior to her arrival, the first six candidates, who had
responded to God’s call, were temporarily under the care of the then
vocations director, Rev. Fr. John Opoku-Acquah at the pre-novitiate
house at Bomso, Kumasi.
On the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination, the Archbishop
Emeritus undertook three significant events: he called the first diocesan
synod with the theme ‘living our baptism’, he made a thirty-day
Ignatian retreat, and he founded the FST Pious Union. Thus it was that
on the 8th of December, 1984, on the feast of the Immaculate
Conception, the Most Rev. Peter Kwasi Sarpong, with the help of his
priests, responded to the lacuna that existed in the Diocese to form a
diocesan women religious group by receiving its first six members as
postulants at the Center for Spiritual Renewal, Kumasi. These six were:
Veronica Appiah, Anna Bannie Nyame, Cecilia Salifu, Alice Matilda
Nsiah, Eugenia Amporfu, and Sarah Pinamang.
Three more postulants were added to their number and were received as
postulants on 2nd February 1985 the Feast of the Presentation of the
Lord.
These were: Mary Dankwah Boamah, Gladys Kusi, and Frances Emily
Owusu -Ansah. The formatress joined the two classes into one to form
the first group of candidates.

Formation of the Pioneering Candidates
The number of the group increased steadily. On 24th December 1985
four more candidates joined the group and were received as postulants.

These were: Lucy Olivia Nkansah, Georgina Achiaah, Veronica
Yeboah and Louisa Ayivorh. As their number increased, some of the
women also left for various reasons. The Pre-Novitiate formation took
place at Bomso, Kumasi in the same compound as the RVM Sisters.
Pre-Novitiate formation for the candidates was initially challenging for
both candidates and the Pre-Novitiate Mistress. The latter was adjusting
to life in Ghana for the first time, while the candidates struggled
initially because of a lack of clear structure of formation program. As a
result, many of the candidates in the first group went back to school
either to improve academic grades or to further their education in
addition to pre-novitiate life. Another challenge was the lack of
transportation. As a result, the postulants walked every day from the
pre-novitiate house at Bomso to the KNUST Catholic Chaplaincy to
attend mass, until we got an old pick up.
Yet, these challenges did not overwhelm, but strengthened the group
which was blessed with communal spirit, mutual support, simplicity,
and the joy for small things!
Also around this time, a good Catholic Christian at Yabi, Mr. Joseph
Nkrumah, bequeathed his house to the Archdiocese in his Will. The
house was extensively renovated for Novitiate Formation.

In 1986, the first eight postulants moved into the novitiate to continue
their formation. There were many challenges in this new environment.
The house was practically located in the ‘bush’ with no other houses in
sight. For years there was no electricity, and water was scarce. Both
novice mistress and novices had adjustment problems which added to
the challenges of novitiate life. Again, many survived even though three
candidates of the second group of novices left at various times.
Amidst classes and spiritual exercises, the founder’s frequent visits and
talks formed an integral part of the formation of the Sisters. During
these visits, he encouraged the Sisters to persevere and helped shape a
vision and willingness of spirit to serve the poor.

Novitiate formation was characterized by intense study and rural
ministry to nearby villages and beyond including Nkoranza, Wenchi,
and Fiapre in the Sunyani Diocese as well as many other surrounding
villages. During these rural ministries or ‘exposures’, as we called
them, the FST’s were mentored and housed in the convents of the RVM
Sisters. These ministries included catechizing, teaching, nursing, family
life education, rural outreach programs for orphans, old people’s homes
and leprosaria.
Influence of the RVM Sisters
As already noted the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM Sisters)
played a key role in the formation of the FST Sisters. They formed us
by word and example, and had a truly positive impact on us. Even
though we are a Trinitarian community we acquired a ‘Marian outlook’
on our spirituality. To date FST
Sisters have many prayers and devotions that are Marian and RVM
origin.
In our ‘infancy’ when we had no convents of our own, they shared their
homes with us and so provided us numerous opportunities for vicarious
learning and emulation to consolidate our formation.

First and Final Professions
On 8
th December 1989, the first group of eight novices professed
temporary vows at the St. Peter’s Cathedral, now St. Peter’s Minor
Basilica, Kumasi. A second group of three soon followed and made
first profession of vows on 10th June 1990. Professions have followed
annually since then and now there have been eighteen various groups
taking their first profession.
Formation continues after temporary vows. Sisters therefore continued
their formation at the FST Juniorate in Jamasi, about 20km from
Kumasi, under the direction of the Sister-in-charge of the temporary
professed. This house was established and opened on September 20th

1990. A life of prayer and rural apostolate characterized life at the
Juniorate where the Sisters lived under initially austere conditions and
ministered by teaching catechism, taking communion to the sick and
home visitations. Until 1997, newly professed Sisters lived at the
Juniorate to continue their formation. Presently, temporary professed
Sisters are assigned to FST communities and special programs are
organized for their on-going formation by the Sister-in-charge of them.
The Sister-in-charge ensures that the temporary professed receive
practical enrichment and immersion into the religious life and
apostolate proper to the Institute. Final professions of Sisters who have
completed the period of temporary profession have followed since then.
Governance
March 19th 1996 saw the first final profession of six Sisters. In the
same month of the final profession, by means of secret balloting, some
FST Sisters were nominated by the Sisters to undertake the governance
of the young community as the RVM Sisters desired to gradually hand
over the governance of the community to its own members. Sr. Lucy
Olivia Nkansah, FST was chosen as the first servant-leader (Superior
General) of the community with the assistance of four others namely,
Sr. Alice Matilda Nsiah, FST; Sr. Maria Elisa Lavaris, RVM; Sr. Anna
Bannie Nyame, FST; and Sr. Georgina Achiaah, FST.
Not long after the official handing over of governance from the RVM
Sisters to the FST’s, the RVMs who had helped with the formation of
the Sisters left the country. The lack of experience of the FST Sisters
who assumed this responsibility posed a challenge with which the
Sisters coped bravely through the prayerful support of the community.
In 2001 the community held its first General Chapter. At the end of a
term of five years, an election was held at this Chapter for a new
leadership. Again Sr. Lucy Olivia Nkansah, FST and her Vicar Sr.
Alice Matilda Nsiah, FST were re-elected. Sr. Anna Bannie Nyame
FST; Sr. Cecilia Salifu, FST; and Sr. Mary Dankwah Boamah were
newly elected Councillors. These Sisters served another five-year term
of office.

Growth: Challenges and Achievements
Within the period of the ten years of the first two administrations the
FST community weathered many storms. Difficulties and challenges
came in varied forms. For example, the restructuring of the Ghana
educational system which aimed at the reduction of the number of years
spent in pre-tertiary education spun many problems. The immediate
effect included the departure of many teachers of various categories for
“greener pastures”. Educational standards dropped and the intellectual
and emotional maturity of candidates entering religious life was at
stake. The ripple effect of this situation was a drop in vocations in
general and our young community in particular as most candidates
could not meet the entrance requirements and the community did not
have the financial resources to sponsor the education of affected
aspiring candidates. The net effect was empty formation houses for
many years.
As if these were not enough, on 21st November 1996 a finally professed
Sister, Sarah Pinamang, died after a brief illness becoming the first FST
to be called home. We were dealt another blow in four years when on
29th November 2000 another finally professed Sister, Gertrude Akyaa
Manu, died. God being our strength, we survived. The immediate past
administration undertook many projects that provided for the material
and spiritual needs of the Sisters and thus laid a good foundation for
further developments. To the glory of God, on the 11th June 2006 on
the solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity the FST community was
erected into a Religious Institute of Diocesan Right at the St. Peter’s
Minor Basilica! This was an occasion of great rejoicing.
The next day, from June 12th to 16th, 2006, the FST Congregation held
its second General Chapter at the Institute for Catechetical and Rural
Development (ICARD), Appiadu. Elections were held for another
administration to be ushered in since the previous had completed its
term of office. After much prayer and reflection, the Sisters elected Sr.
Frances Emily Owusu-Ansah, FST as servant-leader (Superior
General); Sr. Cecilia Ankomah, FST as Vicar; Sr. Veronica Appiah,

FST; Sr. Anna Amo, FST and Sr. Veronica Adomako-Manu, FST as
Councilors to serve FST Institute as its new leadership.
After this, there have been four more General Chapters held with
successive leaders taking over the baton and working hard to build on
the foundation laid down by their predecessors. The fifth and recent
General Chapter was held on 11th August 2019 at the St Gregory
Provincial Major Seminary, Parkoso, Kumasi. At the end of the chapter,
the new leadership comprises Sr. Eugenia Amporfu, FST (Superior
General), Sr. Frances Emily Owusu-Ansah, FST, (1

st Councilor and Vicar General), with Sr. Mary Akuoko, FST (2nd Councilor), Sr.
Theresa Arthur, FST (3rd Councilor) and Sr. Grace Nuamah, FST (4th
Councilor). These are now the current leaders who are steering the
governance of the Institute for the next five years.
Conclusion
The FST Institute has come of age. Yet we are not without struggles.
Our numbers are relatively few compared to other indigenous Institute.
Presently, there are forty-seven Sisters of whom thirty-two have made
final vows and about fifteen candidates under formation. The Institute is
still at the phase of providing training to Sisters for effective ministry.
Through the assistance and guidance from God, we have made some
achievements. We are grateful and proud of the quality education that
many of our Sisters have received which enables us to serve in
capacities such as educators, health professionals, pastoral and social
workers. We are equally grateful to God for the witness and service we
offer in the Obuasi Diocese, Konongo-Mampong Diocese, and Kumasi
Archdiocese. In Kumasi we have been able to add two new convents at
Nkawie and Nkenkaasu where our sisters are helping in the parish and
the communities as a whole. Likewise, a convent and a school (Blessed
Trinity Leadership Academy) in another rural area, Akokoamong, has
been built. The FST Jubilee Crèche and FST Empowerment Project
(FSTEP) are other educational and social projects through which we
form and minister to needy children. Then in Konongo-Mampong
Diocese too at Nyaboo and Adumasa we have a convent, a secondary
school and a crèche respectively where our Sisters are staying and

working. We have also extended our boundaries to other dioceses such
as Takoradi Diocese where we are managing a children home at Egyam
with over sixty children living there and a school (Holy Trinity
Academy) and a convent at Sankore in the Goaso Diocese. And now for
the first time we are starting a new home in Germany. All these are to
help provide quality education to children, provide healthcare for the
young and the aged, and enhance the future and quality of life of the
people in accordance with our charism.

VISION
We aim at Trinitarian community of unity and love, which brings about a transformed
society where people live their dignity as children of God.

MISSION
We, the Daughters of the Most Holy Trinity feel called to serve God’s kingdom, through
our various ministries, among the poor, especially in rural areas.

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