Tears of a Chaplain: Ashanti Prisons Pastor Mourns Son, Flight Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah

The Adum Central Police Church in Kumasi today  28th August 2025 transformed into a sanctuary of grief and honor as mourners gathered for the thanksgiving and memorial service of Flight Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, one of eight service personnel who perished in the tragic helicopter crash at Sikaman, near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

The solemn service was organized by his widow and his mother, Rev. Stella Amma Anku Katso, the Ashanti Regional Prisons Chaplain, whose tears captured the depth of a nation’s loss and the intimate pain of a mother saying farewell to her son. Supported by relatives and fellow clergymen, Rev. Katso wept quietly throughout the service, her presence reminding all gathered that behind the uniform of every soldier is a family that bears the heavy cost of duty.

Uniformed men and women from Ghana’s military, police, fire, and immigration services filled the church, their ranks a symbol of solidarity and collective mourning. Their stoic faces betrayed the pain of losing a comrade, while their very presence stood as testimony that Flight Sergeant Mensah had not served in vain.

The tributes were many and moving. Speakers described him as a disciplined, humble, and loyal officer whose courage and selflessness defined his career. His widow, though visibly heartbroken, stood resilient as she listened to eulogies recounting his devotion both to Ghana and to his family. Her tears mingled with whispered prayers, while she clung to memories of the life and love they had shared.

Clergymen from different denominations led the congregation in fervent prayer, laying hands on both the widow and Rev. Katso, lifting them up in supplication for divine comfort and strength. Hymns of consolation rose from the pews, mingling with the sobs of mourners who struggled to contain their grief.

In his sermon, the preacher declared that though death had silenced Flight Sergeant Mensah’s voice, it could not erase his legacy. “He did not die in vain. His sacrifice, his discipline, and his love for this nation will continue to inspire those who defend our land,” he said, urging all present to live lives of service and honor in his memory.

As the service drew to a close, the haunting sound of a bugle pierced the silence, its notes both mournful and dignified. The call marked a final farewell to a soldier whose life of duty had ended too soon, and yet whose memory would endure.

For his mother, Rev. Stella Amma Anku Katso, the day was both a public tribute and a deeply personal farewell. A woman who has comforted countless inmates and officers in her role as chaplain, she now found herself consoled by the very community she had long served. Her tears, shared by all present, reflected the truth that the loss of Flight Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah is not hers alone, but the nation’s.

Though gone, his legacy of courage and service lives on—in the hearts of his family, his comrades in uniform, and a grateful Ghana.

May his soul rest in perfect peace.