SACRISTY OF GHANAS FIRST CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL BURNT: HISTORICAL MATERIALS, VESSELS AND DOCUMENTS DESTROYED By Zadok Kwame Gyesi / Daily Graphic / Ghana The Sacristy of the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the country, the Saint Francis de Sales Cathedral in Cape Coast, has been razed by fire. The fire, which started in the sacristy around 9.30 p.m., destroyed historical materials, vessels, vestments and important documents. A sacristy is a room in a church where vestments, sacred vessels and items are kept. The church, which was established in 1926, was the first Catholic cathedral to be established in Ghana. Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) officials said the cause of the fire was yet to be established. It took firemen about 40 minutes to bring the fire under control. According to the Assistant Administrator of the cathedral, Rev Fr Vincent Kwesi Asare Bediako, he heard a strange noise in the building and rushed to the scene, only to see that smoke and fire had engulfed the sacristy. He was of the view that the fire could have been sparked by incense that had not been snuffed out properly or an electrical problem. He said he had tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher and when that failed the GNFS had to be called in. “The sacristy has totally been damaged. Everything in it is gone,” Rev Fr Bediako said. As at the time the Daily Graphic got to the scene, personnel of the GNFS were making efforts to bring the fire under control. Some policemen were also around to ensure that thieves did not take advantage of the situation to make away with valuables from the cathedral.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:12:44 +0000
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