St. Mary's Seminary SHS

St. Mary’s Seminary/Senior High School

St. Mary’s Seminary/Senior High School (SMASCO), formerly St. Mary’s Seminary Secondary School, is a boys-only second cycle institution in Lolobi, in the Oti Region of Ghana. The Oti Region was carved out of the northern part of the existing Volta Region.

History
SMASCO was founded as a minor seminary at Lolobi on 29 September 1961 by the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of Reverend Anthony Konings, a Dutch missionary who was the bishop of Keta-Akatsi Diocese. The institution was intended to serve both as the minor seminary for the entire Keta Diocese and as a secondary school for the area. From its founding date, SMASCO opened admission to non-seminarians and students of all denominations.

The first headmaster of the institution was Fr. William Van Frankenhuijesen, SMA. From 1970 to 1972, Fr. Francis Lodonu who was then ordained to the priesthood at Gbi Atabu on 18 May 1964 by Bishop Anthony Konings, was appointed as the vice rector and later the rector of St. Mary’s Minor Seminary. Between 1972 and 1973, he became both the rector and the headmaster of St. Mary’s Seminary Secondary School. While in St. Mary’s, Fr. Lodonu also taught Latin in Form I, Ewe Language, Bible Knowledge and Geography in Form IV and V. On 29 June 1973, Lodonu was ordained a bishop in Rome at St. Peters Basilica by Pope Paul VI. Other headmasters of the school include Rev. Fr. Ephraim Mensah, Rev. Fr. Anthony Hwanompe, Rev. Fr. Edward Siffah, and Rev. Fr. Pascal Afesi. As of June 2020, the school was under the administration of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ho. In 1977, the school became a government-assisted school, similar to most other Catholic schools in the region.