The 9th Marshallan Reunion Conference has officially opened at the Athletic Oval of the University of Ghana, Legon in Accra. 
More than 6,500 brothers and sisters from Ghana,
Togo, Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, London and Cote d’Ivoire are attending the conference on the theme “Management and Conservation of the Environment.
The Guest Speaker was His Eminence, Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, Prefect of Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development at the Vatican who was represented by Monsignor Bernard Munono.
Also present were Most Rev. Philip Naameh, President of Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and Archbishop of Tamale, Bro Colin Walsh, President of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights (IACK), Sir Knight Veteran Bro. Cdr. Dr. Edmund S. K. Kwaw, Supreme Director, Sir Knight Bro. Ambrose Yennah, the Supreme Knight and Most Respected Lady Sister Grace Budu-Smith, the Grand Lady. The Knights of St. John International and Ladies Auxiliary delegation was led by Major General James Dasah, the Supreme Subordinate – President, Ghana.
Sir Knight Veteran Bro. Cdr. Dr. Edmund S. K. Kwaw thanked the planning committee for a good work done more especially for the large number of Brothers and Sisters who have attended the Reunion Conference.
He mentioned that “the history of the evolution of the knighthood and particularly Marshallanism has not in any way left us in wanting in our setting of our Vision and Mission as perceived by our Founders, rather it has challenged us to discover new ways of being Marshallans. The Cross is our weapon!”
He gave a chronology of the reunion conference and indicated that the first took place at St. Augustine College, Cape Coast in August 1961.
In his welcome address, Sir Knight Bro. Ambrose Yennah said membership of the Noble Order has seen an impressive growth in the number of Councils and Courts.
As of today, the Order can boast of 143 and 138 Councils and Courts respectively. 
He added that there are 27 Regional Councils and Courts in the operating countries while the number of Junior Councils and Courts has also increased from 79 to 98.
The President of IACK in his speech said that the aim of the IACK is to preach Christ to all, support the church and respect her hierarchy throughout the world, while encouraging and fostering unity among members of the church. 
He continued that members of the Catholic Alliance must at every point in time defend the dignity of every life and seek justice.
He noted that the Knights and Ladies of Marshall has been exemplary in their loyalty to these ideals and aspirations and promised IACK’s cooperation with the Noble Order and other International Catholic organizations.
Most Rev. Philip Naameh urged the Marshallan fraternity to create awareness about issues of the environment on all platforms by engaging members, Parishes and communities on proper waste management and create advocacy in favour of proper sanitation and protection of water bodies. He continued that the Catholic Church in Ghana is optimistic that when we all play our roles effectively as ambassadors of clean environment, many lives would be saved in Ghana.
Major General James Dasah pointed out that both Marshallans and Members of the Knights of St. John International and Ladies Auxiliary constitute a formidable position in the laity of the Church, adding that many people look up to us for guidance.
Noble Order Communication Corps
