Safeguarding the Dignity of Every Person: OLA International Formation in Ghana
Brafoyaw, Cape Coast, Ghana | August – September, 2026
The Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) have taken an important step in strengthening our commitment to creating safe environments for all. From August ending to 8 September 2026, the International Formation Session on the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults holds in Brafoyaw, Cape Coast, Ghana, bringing together 13 safeguarding coordinators from OLA entities across the world and 7 members of the international facilitation team.
This two-week formation is more than a training programme. It is a journey of reflection, learning, and a missionary commitment to safeguarding the dignity, rights, and well-being of every child and vulnerable adult encountered in the Congregation’s mission.
A Mission Rooted in the Gospel
The opening session began with a warm welcome from Sr. Perpetua Acquah, OLA, Provincial Leader of Ghana. Welcoming participants to the Ghana Province, she reminded everyone that safeguarding is not an optional ministry but an essential expression of the Congregation’s mission in today’s world.
She encouraged participants to embrace the formation with openness and responsibility, recognizing that protecting the vulnerable lies at the heart of living the Gospel and witnessing to Christ’s compassionate love.
A Message from the Congregational Leader
An inspiring and encouraging message from Sr. Mary T. Barron, OLA, Congregational Leader, was read to the participants during the opening ceremony by Sr. Marie Hélène Gourdon, Assistant Congregational Leader. Her words set the tone for the days ahead, inviting everyone to see safeguarding as a missionary calling. She said:
“Your presence here is a sign of your commitment to the Gospel, of your love for our Congregation, and of your desire to ensure that every person we encounter — especially the most vulnerable — is protected, respected, and honored.” She continued by emphasizing the deeper spiritual dimension of safeguarding:
“Safeguarding is one of the most concrete ways of embodying the Gospel today.”
She also reminded participants that their mission extends far beyond policies and procedures:
“This work is not merely technical. It is missionary. It is evangelical. It is prophetic.”
Her message challenged every participant to become an instrument of justice, healing, and hope within the Congregation’s mission around the world.
Continuing a Journey Begun in 2017
This formation also offers an opportunity to reflect on the Congregation’s safeguarding journey. The OLA Safeguarding Policy, first adopted in 2017, marked an important milestone in establishing common standards for the protection of children and vulnerable adults throughout the Congregation. Since then, OLA has continued to deepen its safeguarding structures, raise awareness, develop formation programmes, and strengthen accountability across its entities. This international session represents another significant step in that ongoing commitment.
Participants were encouraged to revisit the Congregation’s safeguarding policy and continue building a culture where respect, dignity, listening, and protection are lived realities in every OLA community and ministry.
Walking Together in Hope
The opening day concluded in a spirit of prayer and unity as participants made their way together to the meeting room, symbolically beginning this shared journey of formation and mission. Coming from different countries, languages, and cultures, they gathered with one purpose: to ensure that every person entrusted to OLA’s care experiences safety, respect, and the love of Christ.
As the session unfolds over the coming days, participants will engage in prayer, theological reflection, practical safeguarding training, policy implementation, case studies, and collaborative learning that will equip them to animate safeguarding in their respective entities.
May the Holy Spirit accompany and guide this international formation, to strengthen the commitment to safeguard the dignity of every person and to make every OLA mission a place of welcome, protection, and hope.