The Brothers of the Immaculate Conception (FIC), a revered Catholic religious congregation, will commemorate their 60th Anniversary of presence and dedicated service in Ghana this week.
The official anniversary Mass will take place this Thursday, November 20, 2025, at the Bernardus Technical Institute in Kaleo, Upper West Region.
The Congregation of the Brothers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, well known as the FIC Brothers, has a significant presence in Ghana, where they are actively involved in education and social work, especially in the northern regions.
The FIC was founded in 1840 by Father Louis Rutten with many committed people, filled with the Spirit of Jesus. The Congregation has five Provinces: The Netherlands (Europe) – since 1840, Indonesia (Asia) – since 1920, Chile (South America) – since 1953, Malawi (Central Africa) – since 1962, and Ghana (West Africa) – since 1965
At the request of the then Bishop of Wa, Mt. Rev. Peter Porekuu Dery, the first FIC brothers arrived in Kaleo near Wa in 1965 to take over the leadership of an indigenous congregation, known as the Brothers of St. Joseph and in that same year, the first Ghanaian brothers made their profession in the Congregation.
Their work includes running primary, secondary, and professional/vocational schools, as well as engaging in agricultural and building projects
They first settled and began the religious formation of the Ghanaian brothers in the Upper West region.
They are mostly noted in the following places in Ghana. Accra in the Greater Accra region, Damongo and Bole in the Savannah Region, Kaleo, Nandom, St. Louis-Wa, Avellinus Janssen Community, Wa-Sombo and Tumu in the Upper West Region, St. Vincent de Paul-Tamale in the Northern Region, while Zebilla is in the Upper East Region and Sunyani is in the Brong-Ahafo Region.
At Nandom, they established the St. Michael’s Secondary School in 1968. An all-boys Catholic secondary school dedicated to providing quality education, self-discipline, and Christian moral education to the indigenes of the area.
A vocational school in 1973, known as the St. John’s Vocational/Technical Institute, was later started in Nandom. This school was started to address the lack of skilled labour in the area, which the Brothers experienced firsthand while building Nandom SHS or the St. Michael’s Secondary School.
They later in 1973 established St. Basilides’s Vocational School in the nearby town of Kaleo to further train skilled workers for their social work.
The celebratory Mass will be officiated by His Lordship Most Rev. Francis Bomansaang, M.Afr. The event will be graced by the presence of the Superior General, Brothers FIC, and the Provincial Superior of the Ghana Province, alongside many other members, dignitaries, and alumni.
