The Sacred Heart Catholic Church at Chinderi in the Catholic Diocese of Jasikan has long been a place of vibrant worship. Yet for years, one barrier quietly limited full participation for many in the congregation.
That changed with the birth of a new children’s choir; an initiative born of compassion, practical need, and a desire for every worshipper to feel at home.
In an interview,Sr. Seraphine Agorti, SMMC, the driving force behind the choir, shared the story of its beginnings.
“As at the time I went to Chinderi in 2023, there was only one choir in the church,” she recalled. “This choir sings only in Twi and Nchumuru. The homily also is said in Twi and Nchumuru.”
For those who were not indigenous to the area and could not speak either language, Mass presented a real challenge. “The struggle for us who are not indigenous and could not speak either Twi or Nchumuru is that we could go to Mass and not understand anything,” Sr. Seraphine explained.
“One enjoys the celebration and dances if he or she understands and can sing the song.”
Rather than accept the status quo, she saw an opportunity. “So I thought it wise to start a children’s choir who could sing in other languages like Ewe and English, so that those who fall in that category will also feel belonging and enjoy the Mass.”
With permission from the then Assistant Priest, Fr. Desmond Adzadu, Sr. Seraphine launched the group. Sr. Lamberta Kwadzo joined her in teaching the children songs.
The early days required steady commitment. When Fr. Desmond was later transferred and Sr. Lamberta departed, Sr. Fortune Fiakpornu stepped in to continue teaching and to guide the children during Mass.
Support grew under the new Parish Priest, Fr. Stanley Ntoso. The choir’s formal inauguration took place on December 28, 2025, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, when Fr. Desmond returned to officially launch the group. It was named Holy Innocents Children’s Choir.
Today, the choir operates under the guidance of Srs. Seraphine and Fortune, together with Mr. Tukpa Bruce. Its motto is simple and resonant: “Singing together: Creating harmony.”
The impact is already visible. “We now have two choirs in the church,” Sr. Seraphine said. “We alternate singing at Mass with the church choir.”
What began as one Sister’s response to a felt exclusion has become a living expression of welcome.
In the voices of the children singing in Ewe and English alongside the established Twi and Nchumuru repertoire, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Chinderi is discovering a fuller harmony, one that invites every member of the congregation to understand, to sing, and to belong.
The SMMC community at Chinderi is known as the St. Luke community, named after the St. Luke’s Hospital, where some of the Sisters work. Within the community, some sisters serve as nurses while others are teachers.
By Sr. Angela Amoatwo, SMMC
Catholic Sister Communicators Network- Ghana( CASCON-GH). Photo Credit: Sr. Seraphine Agorti, SMMC
