Cardinal Turkson to speak at Holy Cross

SOUTH BEND -- Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana will be the speaker at the Holy Cross College 2006 commencement at 2 p.m. May 13.

The ceremony will be in Bendix Theater at Century Center in downtown South Bend.

Turkson, who is archbishop of Cape Coast in Ghana, will receive an honorary degree from the college.

A native of Ghana, Turkson was ordained for the Diocese of Cape Coast in 1975. He holds a doctorate in sacred scripture from Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

Turkson has been president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference in Ghana since 1992. He also is chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana. He is a member of several Vatican bodies: the Methodist Catholic Dialogue, Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and Pontifical Commission for Cultural Patrimony of the Church. He is treasurer for the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.

The Brothers of Holy Cross have a headquarters in Turkson's archdiocese. The year 2007 will mark the 50th anniversary of the relationship between the Congregation of Holy Cross and the Church in Ghana.

Bishop John D'Arcy of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend will give the commencement benediction.