Kumasi Archdiocese welcomes Ghanaian parish in Texas

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi in Ghana has welcomed the establishment of a new Ghanaian parish in Arlington, Texas. The parish, which will serve the Ghanaian community, is under the patronage of Saint Matthew Ayariga.

Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth announced the creation of the parish, which is scheduled to officially open in January 2027. In a circular released on August 31, Chancellor Fr. Felix Baffour Gyawu described the development as a historic milestone and an honor to the archdiocesan family and the Ghanaian diaspora.

Saint Matthew Ayariga was a Ghanaian migrant worker who was among 21 Christian workers beheaded by ISIS in Libya in February 2015. While the Coptic Orthodox Church canonized the group of martyrs, Pope Francis inscribed them in the Roman Martyrology in May 2023.