Father Raphael Assamah
Meet Fr. Raphael
I was born on July 4, 1976 in Ghana. My basic and tertiary education were in Ghana. After discerning the voice of God through retreats and spiritual directions, I entered St. Paul's Major Seminary in 1999 to study Philosophy, Sociology and Spirituality. In 2003, I studied theology and education at St. Peter's Regional Seminary in Pedu, Cape Coast, Ghana. After a successful pastoral year, three of us were ordained as Deacons on January 6, 2008 and later into the priesthood on August 23, 2008 for the Archdiocese of Accra.
My first assignment was at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. While there I oversaw the youth programs and was chaplain to some societies in the Archdiocese. There was a need for priests to assist in Jamaica, so the door was opened for volunteers, and I opted as fidei donum (the Gift of Faith) priest for the Archdiocese of Kingston, Jamaica.
While in Jamaica I worked at St. Pius X and St. Peter Claver Catholic Churches respectively. It wasn’t until later that I was asked to assist as a Priest in the Diocese of Des Moines where I served in Shenandoah and Hamburg as the Pastor of St. Mary’s Churches. I obtained my Master’s in Theology and Christian Ministry from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.
Recently, Bishop Joensen asked me to serve as the Pastor of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish in Des Moines and I arrived here on the 7th of July to assume my new duties. I enjoy walking, music, playing the guitar, reading, cooking, washing my own car and meeting people.
Parish
News
Alpha
Join us for our winter session of Alpha at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus. Alpha will be held on Sunday evenings, 6-8 p.m. in the parish hall. Each night we will gather for a meal, short video and small group discussion. It is not mandatory that you make every session. Videos will be sent […]
2024 Parish Annual Report
Fall Clean Up
Thank you for making this years’ Fall Clean Up a total success. Thank you to the members of our parish, whose yards we cleaned, giving us the opportunity to serve. Thank you to all the volunteers that showed up on a rainy Saturday morning. A very special thanks to all the team leaders, who had […]
St. Theresa Feast Day
We had a great week celebrating our patron saint, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus! We prayed together at Holy Hour on Her feast day, our parish school honored St. Theresa by doing little deeds and placing flowers at her statue in the school entryway, and we ended the week by presenting roses and singing […]
St. Theresa First Fruits Distributions – FY2023-2024
“what so ever you do to the least of my brethren that you do unto me.” Matthew 25:40 There are many special collections at St. Theresa and we are humbled and pleased that gifts to First Fruits through the purple envelope continue to remain constant. St. Theresa parishioners have stood tall and continue to contribute […]
St. Theresa Transitional House 2001-2024
Longing for shelter, many are homeless.Longing for warmth, many are cold.Make us your building, sheltering others,Walls made of living stone. For over 20 years, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church lived the above verse from the song “Christ be Our Light” with the purchase, maintenance, and mentoring of large, low-income families in the St […]