Name of Parish: St. Matthew
Location: Kunsu
Name of Priest: Frs. Sixtus Kyei-Kusi – PP, Stephen Naab – Associate.
Outstations: Saakrom, Assibey – Nkwanta, Boatengkrom, Bonkwaso, Kunsu – Camp, Kunsu – Dotiem, Kunsu – Apremadi, Barimayena, Bonkrong, Nyame Adom
Contacts: c/o Box 28, Dwinyama.
ST. MATTHEW CATHOLIC CHURCH - KUNSU
St. Matthew Catholic church was started in 1930 by a small group of Christ’s faithful who came together to form the Catholic Church at Kunsu. Church services and Masses were held at the Kunsu old town. In 1948-1958, the church was relocated to Kunsu new site and Masses were held at the R/C School grounds. The Kunsu Catholic Church was originally part of the Bechem Parish with Fr. Joseph Mulders as the Parish Priest. Fr. Mulders started the old Kunsu church building. The church building was completed in 1961 by Fr. Matthew Adjaye who was the Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Parish, Tepa St. Matthew Church became an outstation of Tepa for a very long time. It later became part of the St. Anthony Parish, Dwinyama, when it was curved from the then Tepa Parish. Fr. Augustine Bio was the Parish Priest. All this while, the Kunsu church was under Kumasi Diocese before it was later added to the Goaso Diocese in 2000.
It was Fr. Augustine Bio who started the Kunsu mission house in the 1980s and was completed during the tenure of Fr. Emmanuel Tabi Mensah. It was blessed by Bishop Peter Kwaku Atuahene on 31st March, 2000. Gabriel Adabo Donkor was the then church president. In 2003, the Kunsu Catholic Church was made a rectorate with Fr. Charles Gyasi Buabeng as the first Rector. On 22nd September, 2004, Most Rev. Peter Kwaku Atuahene raised the St. Matthew rectorate to a parish status. Fr. Charles Gyasi Buabeng became the first Pastor of the Parish. The territorial boundary of the St. Matthew Parish at the time of the creation were Kunsu, Mankranso, Asempanaye, Boatengkrom, Bonkwaso, Nyameadom, Kunsu Camp, Kunsu Dotiem, Bonkron, Kunsu Apenamadi, Barimayena, Saakrom, Assibey Nkwanta and Afresine.
Mankranso, St. Patrick Catholic Church, was later carved out from Kunsu Parish with two other outstations – Asempanaye and Afresine. The Kunsu Parish is now made up of twelve (12) outstations with four (4) zones. In 2009, second Parish Priest, Fr. Anthony Gyamera, started a new church building at Kunsu. The new church building is now at the point of finishing.
In 2016, the Holy Family Sisters came to Goaso diocese and were assigned to Kunsu Parish. They lived in a rented a house till the completion of their convent in 2017. The first Sisters, Srs. Deepa, Pushpa and Sophy from India were assigned to the Parish. The Holy Family Sisters started the Holy Family School which was later changed to St. Mariam Thresian School at Kunsu
PARISH PRIESTS: Fr. Charles Gyasi Buabeng, Fr. Anthony Gyamerah, Fr. Dominic Apaata, Fr. Jonas Opoku Gyamfi, Fr. Elisha Manu, Fr. Sixtus Kyei Kusi. Presidents: Yaw Nti Kromo, Francis Kusi Ababio, James Kwabena Owusu Ansah, Gabriel Adabo Donkor, Patrick Osei Yaw, Paul Osei Kwame, Joseph Asamoah, James Adu Gyamfi, James Asamoah Kusi. Catechists: Patrick Osei Yaw, Emmanuel Ofori Ntow, James Tuffour, Michael Banahene and Gilbert Derry.
Priests and Religious from Kunsu Parish: Fr. Francis Kusi Ababio, Fr. Emmanuel Oppong, SP, Francis Kusi Ababio.