The National Catholic Secretariat, which is the Executive Arm of the Bishops Conference, was established in 1960 and was registered as a Corporate Body in 1962.

Mission Statement

The Secretariat is to implement the decision and policies of the Bishops Conference through its Department and Commissions for the spiritual and human development of the people of God.

The Secretariat is headed by a Secretarial-General, assisted by an Assistant Secretarial-General and other Administrative and Accounting personnel.

The Secretariat-General Department co-ordinates the activities of the various department to ensure that decisions and politics of the Bishops Conference effectively and efficiency carried out.

The following are the Departments and Commissions of the Secretariat.

1. Department of Education and Commission (with a section on Religious Education).
2. Department of Health (which includes the Catholic Drug Centre and the production Pharmacy).
3. Department of Socio-Economic Development (which has a section for Migrants and Refugee, Justice and Peace)
4. Department of Social Commissions ()DEPSOCOM). 
5. Department of Pastoral Care.
6. Department of Clergy and Religious
7. Department of Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations.
8. Department of Juridical Matters.
9. National Catholic Service Centre and Missionary Travels (NCSC/RAP-TIM)
10. Pontifical  Mission Societies (PMS).
11. Theological  Commission Catechetical Commission.
12. Ethics Commission.
13. Liturgical Commission

Each Department or Commission is headed by a Bishop as Episcopal Chairman. The President of the Conference heads the Secretarial-General Departments as its Episcopal Chairman. The following Bishops have been Episcopal Chairmen of the Secretarial Department since its establishment    

The roles of the various Department are summarised as follows:

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The General Manager of the Catholic Educational Units acts as liason between the Church and the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other stakeholders in Education.

RELIGIUOS EDUCATION SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

From Jesus Christ, the Church received a clear and specific missionary mandate:
Go into the world and proclaim in Good News to the whole creation (MK.16:15) The Religious Education Section of the Department of Education of the National Catholic Secretariet exists to carry out this evangelism mission of the Church through the supervision, co-ordination and animation of pastoral catechesis in Catholic School and Diocese throughout Ghana, thus helping to lead people to active faith in Christ.

Mission
The Mission of the Religious Education Section is the continuation of the mission of Jesus, the first and foremost evangeliser, through the promotion Christian education in schools and on-going in the faith in Diocese throughout Ghana.

Role of the Secretariat
In line with the tradition of the Church and in keeping with the Lords command our Bishops are conscious of the fact that their first task is to preach the Gospel of God to all people. In their effort to draw new disciples to Christ, they have to take note of te contemporary world in which they minister and also enlist experts to help them. To this end, they have set up a National Catechetical Commission, comprising catechetical experts with an explicit mandate.

1. To work together, collaborate and unify the total catechetical ministry in Ghana.
2. To propose, formulate and review, when necessity, guidelines on catechising and educating Ghanaians in the faith.
3. To encourage a unified response to the catechetical challenges without losing sight of the peculiarities of each Diocese.
4. To articulate dear directives regarding goals and practical means of implementing them together for the steady growth of the Church in Ghana.
5. To be alert on trends in Ghanaian society and initiate appropriate pastoral/ catechetical response.

The Executive Secretary of Religious Education is the Exertive Secretary of the National Catechetical Commission. He co-ordinates, implements and keeper the Commission alive and to course.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
The Department of Health serves as the Headquarters of the National Catholic Health Services and Pharmaceutical Services. Its primary functions are as stated below. It is headed by an Executive Secretary and staffed by senior staff as heads of the respective Units.. .

The following Services. Its primary functions are as stated below. It is headed by an Executives Secretary and staffed by senior staff as heads of the respective Units.

The following are the functions of the Department of Health.

1. Advisory to the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference on all health matters.
2. Collaboration with other department of the National Catholic Secretariat.
3. Liaison activities with respect to partners, both local and foreign, on behalf of the NCHS (MOH/GHS/CHAG/Donors/Others).
4. Policy Development.
5. National Health Planning and Strategy Formulation.
6. Human Resource Development  and Co-ordinator. Monitoring/Supervision/Evaluation of activities of the NCHS at all levels.

Mission
To provide high quality health care in the most effective/efficient and innovative manner specific to the nedds fof the communities we serve and at all times acknowledge the dignity of the patient.

Vision
To continue Christ healing ministry in bringing healing to the greatest possible number of people in the provision of total quality patient care through healers with good ethical and moral standards, who are conscientious as well as professionally competent, motivated and united in their common respect  for fundamental human rights.

Goals
To provide and sustain health care services for the poor, neglected and marginalised segments of the society. The service will seek to empower the people it serves to take ownership of their own individual and collective needs.

DEPATMENT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (SED)

The Department of Socio-Economic Development (SED-Caritas) of the National Catholic Secretariat was establish in 1971 to co-ordinate and facilitate the socio-economic development efforts of the Catholic Church in Ghana. As a development arm of the Church, it is expected to contribute towards the achievement of the vision of the Bishops Conference. SED works with the Diocesan Development Offices (DDOs) to address condition of hunger, poverty and ignorance and human suffering due to emergencies.

Mission SED/DDOs work to promote human dignity, social justice and peace by preferentially empowering the marginalised and the disadvantage to improve their condition throughout participatory process.

Development Focus of SED : The Department promotes self-help projects in agricultural development, micro-credit for micro-business. It also promotes women in development programmes and c0-ordinates relief and logistics in the Such challenges include the promotion of self-help employment  for products of Catholic Vocational Training Centres.

The Department is an affiliate of Caritas International and also works closely with Catholic funding organisations, as well as other NGOs and agencies.  

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS (DEPSOCOM)

The Department of Social Communication helps to co-ordinate the evangelisation apostolate through social communications. It acts as a liason office with other organisations in the media and disseminates about Church activities

Mission: The Department of Social Communication of the National Catholic Secretariat was set up in 1960. it has a mission of promoting the gospel values of the message of Jesus Christ. This is carried out through the use of the media for effective and efficient evangelisation and for the integral development of humankind and society in general. DEPSSOCOM liaises and collaborates with diocesan communication offices, communication agencies or institution, government and nongovernmental, organisation, among others, in fulfilling this mission.

Vision
The vision of DEPSOCOM is to promote the Catholic Church in Ghana and its activities for the promotion of Christian, social and human values through the means pf social communications on the national and international levels.  

The Department has the following sections” Press and Information

1. Radio / Television and
2. Audio- Visual and Group Media

Press and Information Section     
The Press and Information Section of the Department receives, collates and sends out news of national character. This includes reports and decisions from the Bishops’ Conference and the NCS. It acts as liaison between the Church on one hand and the other public on the other. The Department publishes a newsletter known as NCS Newsletter. The Department also co-ordinates the Radio/Telephone Network of the Church. The Church has, through the DEPSOCOM, been able to get Catholic media practitioners both in the secular and Church media to form an association of media practitioners called Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G).

Radio/Telephone and Audio- Visuals
Since the Church has no radio and television station of its own, its participation in this field is very limited. This Department serves on the Religious Advisory Committee of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. DEPSOCOM runs an audio and visual recording studio, and encourages the production of audio and video programmes in all the dioceses.

Seminars/Workshops
Seminars and Workshops on issues relating to communications are held from time to time on national and diocesan levels.

Training
Training of personnel to run the national and diocesan communications offices is one of the priorities of the Department. Stress is placed also on the need to provide on-going formation courses for Catholic presence in the secular media.

World Communication Day Celebration
The world wide celebration is organised on national and diocesan levels on the theme given by the Holy Father through the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Relations with International Catholic Media Organisations
DEPSOCOM has close and regular contacts with the following international Catholic media organisations.

1. The Pontifical Council for Social Communications:
2. The International Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP):
3. International Association of Catholic Media (SIGNIS)..

DEPARTMENT OF PASTORAL CARE

The Department co-ordinates the pastoral work in the University, Hospitals, Security Services, etc. Also, the liturgy and, in particular, the inculturation of the liturgy is an integraarious diocese of Ghana. The main focus is on laity form point for the Department.

The Department organises meetings of  the Directors of Diocesan Pastoral Centres and Programmes.

It rails together the National Liturgical Commission twice a year and sets up training sessions to equip people for pastoral ministries. It also makes suggestions to the Bishops Conference concerning issues.

THE DEPARTMENT OF CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS

The Department aims at:
Facilitating and encourage the need for regular and systematic ongoing formation for the Clergy and Religious for effective pastoral care at all levels National, Provincial and Diocesan.

Identifying and proposing for the continuous formation of the Clergy and Religious issues of pastoral relevance and concern in our times.

Link between the Bishops Conference and:

1. The National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests Associations.
2. The Conference of Major Superiors of Religious Men.
3. The Conference of Major Superior of Religious Women.
4. Vocational Movement Association.
5. International movement, Associations and Societies of the Clergy and Religious.

1. Through the mixed commission which comprises representatives from Conferences of Religious Men and Women and that of the Bishops Conference, undertake common ventures for the benefit of the Clergy and Religious.
2. Proposes to the Bishops Conference the establishment of relevant structure to address the pastoral, spiritual, emotional and psychological and physical needs of Clergy and Religious.
3. Facilitates and promotes understanding and cooperation among the diocesan clergy and religious in order to eliminate suspicion and unhealthy competition.
4. Helps in the formulation and dissemination of policies of the Bishops Conference for the Clergy and RELIGIOUS.

DEPARTMENT OF ECUMENICAL RELATIONS AND INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

The Department aims at:

1. Formalising the already good relations between the Catholic Bishops Conference and the Christina Council of Ghana (CCG) and its member churches:
2. Exploring and strengthening areas of co-operation between the Catholic Church and member churches of the CCG to the cause of Christ.
3. Making official information and release available to each other so as to preclude the like hood of misinterpretation and/ or misunderstanding of each others stand on certain sensitive issues:
4. Encouraging respect for other religious and enhance the need and process for inter-religious dialogue, in Ghana:
5. Organising study session on themes related to Islam, African Traditional Religious and Christianity to enhance religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence:
6. Production and dissemination of religious literature, in order to equip those in formation, seminarians, catechist, the religious and the laity.

DEPARTMENT OF JURIDICAL MATTERS

Mission
To create canonical awareness in all sectors of the Ecclesiastical community through formation, data analysis and publishing information gathered..

Vision
A well-informed Church in matters canonical is a prerequisite for order, discipline and pastoral solidarity in all sectors of the ecclesial community in Ghana

Aims;

1. The formation of the Clergy Religious and laity on matters canonical:
2. To keep abreast with current canonical issues by correspondence with other Canon Laws bodies.
3. To organise Ghana Canon Law Society and liaise with the Catholic Lawyers Guild.
4. To monitor the progress of the four Provincial Marriage Tribunals and to support ways of improving their efficiency.
5. Periodic publication of Acts from the Bishops Conference matter canonical.
6. General consultation on matters canonical.
7. The Values of the Department:
8. To fight against ignorance of Church law.
9. Creation of canonical awareness at every level of Christian community:
10. Full co-operation in the execution of Church law between Religious  Societies and Dioceses.
11. Promotion of organic unity and solidarity within the diocese.
12. Establishment of appropriate diocesan structure for smooth diocesan administration

THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC SERVICE CENTRE (NSC)

The NCSC handles import documentation with regard to tax and duty exemptions from the Government. The exemptions fare limited to donations for educational, agricultural, health and soci-economic activities of the church. It facilitates the clearing of goods and other logistics for the mission and works f the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC)

The Department also arranges for immigrant quota approval from the Ministry of Interior and the processing of residence permits for all expatriates working for the GCBC. The NCSC acquires passports, visas, tickets and other travel documents for members of the GCBC and people working for the Conference.

In sum, the Department deals with the Ministries of Trade and Presidential Initiative, Finance and Economic Planning: Foreign Affairs: of the Interior: Ports, Harbour and Railway, Manpower, Development and Empowerment.

PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETY (PMS)

The Pontifical Mission Societies is headed by a National Director. The role of the Pontifical Mission Society consist chiefly in animating a missionary awareness among Catholic in Ghana. The specific way of doing this is trough the

1. Propagation of the Faith.
2. St. Peter the Apostle.
3. Pontified Missionary Union.
4. Holy Childhood.

The Pontifical Mission Society is the Liason between the Bishops Conference and the Pontified Mission Societies in the Vatican City, Italy.

DEPARTMENT OF LAITY AND FAMILY

The primary function of the National Catholic Council is to:

1. Collaborate with the hierarchy of the Church so as to assist Christ faithful as members of organised communities or association in their evangelisation apostolate.
2. Plans promotes and co0ordinates study, training and formation programmes for Christian leadership at the parish, diocese and national levels.
3. Act as an effective and efficient mouthpiece for the transfer of information to and from the hierarchy of the Church.

NATIONAL ORGANISATINA, COMMISSIONS AND COUNCILS

All Secretariet are located at Centenary House, Tetteh Quashie Interchange, P.O.Box KA 9712, Accra.

1. Catechetical Commission
2. Ethics Commission
3. Commission for Sacred Music / Art
4. Standard Newspapers and Magazines Ltd. (Publishers of The Standard, Ghana’s national Catholic weekly)
5. Justice and Peace Commission
6. National Liturgical Commission
7. Ghana National Catholic Youth Council (GHANCYC) Secretariet, P.O.Box 166,knust, Kumai