This week at the Centre for Spiritual Renewal in Kumasi, cameras have found new hands.
Catholic Sisters from across the West African country of Ghana have gathered for a media training, and the purpose is simple but deep: to share the beauty of their mission with the world.
The programme is being run by the Catholic Sister Communicators Network, Ghana, (CASCON-GH). It began on July 29, 2026 and will end on 2nd August 2, 2026. For five days, Sisters are stepping away from their usual ministries to learn how to capture, share and preserve the work they do every day not just in words, but in images and stories.
Among the participants are Sister Mercy Baidoo and Sister Cecilia Affum of the Infant Jesus congregation. For them, being at the training is more than learning how to press a shutter button. It is about finding new and faithful ways to communicate the mission of the Church. It is about documenting apostolic activities as they happen, and about keeping the heritage of their religious life alive for the next generation.
Every photo taken and every short video recorded, becomes part of that living memory.
CASCON-GH is making sure the Sisters do not return empty-handed.
Each Congregation represented at the training has received a Canon digital camera and an official CASCON-GH media jacket.
The cameras and Jackets are more than gifts; they are tools meant to serve their apostolate. With them, the Sisters will be able to record high quality photos and videos during pastoral visits, community gatherings, formation programmes, health outreach, and other significant moments in the life of their Congregations.
The idea is that the story of the Church should not be told only after the fact, but as it unfolds.
The training itself has been very practical and hands-on. In one session, a professional cameraman,
Mr. Derrick Attistsogbui Klu took the Sisters through the basics step by step.
He showed them how to properly fix the lens to the camera body, how to charge and care for the battery so it lasts, how to insert and safely handle the SD card, and how to adjust settings for light, focus and clarity. He also taught them how to use the flash well so that images still come out clear in chapels, classrooms, or evening events where light is low.
There was laughter and concentration in the room as the Sisters tried it for themselves. You could see the excitement on their faces, a mix of curiosity and joy as they realised that this skill could help them serve better.
It was not about becoming professional photographers overnight. It was about learning enough to tell their story well. The programme is continuing with deeper sessions on media production, visual storytelling, and ethical communication.
The Sisters are discussing how to choose the right image to represent a moment, how to write captions that respect people’s dignity, and how to create digital content that speaks to faith and evangelisation.
They are learning that communication is also a ministry one that requires truth, care and creativity.
For Srs. Mercy and Cecilia, this week marks a new chapter for the Infant Jesus Congregation.
When they return to their communities, they will carry back not only a camera and a media jacket, but also new confidence. They will be able to document formation classes, capture the quiet service of community life, and share moments of prayer and outreach with others.
In the end, it comes down to this: one photo and one video at a time. Through the lens, the work of the Sisters often quiet and often behind the scenes can now be seen, remembered, and shared. And through that sharing, the mission of the Church continues to speak.
By: Sr. Mercy Baidoo, SIJ.
(Catholic Sister Communicator network, Ghana)
CASCOM GH)
