St. Barbara Catholic Church, Catholic church building in Akosombo, Ghana.

St. Barbara Catholic Church is a small Catholic church on one of the highest points of Akosombo, overlooking the Akosombo Dam. Impregilo SPA built it in 21 days in September 1962, and its plan was drawn to resemble praying hands.

St. Barbara Catholic Church was built in September 1962 by the Italian firm Impregilo SPA in 21 days, as a place of worship for the staff building the Akosombo Dam. It was dedicated to Saint Barbara, patron saint of the contractors, and built to host Archbishop of Milan Giovanni Battista Montini, later Pope Paul VI, who was visiting Ghana that year. A memorial plaque inside honours the 28 Impregilo staff who died during construction, 12 of them in the 15 February 1966 tunnel explosion.

The church is dedicated to Saint Barbara, patron saint of the Impregilo contractors who built the dam, and its plan was drawn to resemble praying hands. A memorial plaque inside honours the 28 Impregilo staff who died during construction, 12 of them in the 15 February 1966 tunnel explosion.

The church stands on one of the highest points of Akosombo, above the dam site, so the approach is uphill and the ground around it is uneven. Visitors reach it by road from the town; there is no public transport stop at the door. The hilltop position gives a view over the Akosombo Dam and the Volta reservoir below.

The church was built in 21 days in September 1962 so it could host Giovanni Battista Montini, then Archbishop of Milan, during his visit to Ghana that year; he later became Pope Paul VI. A plaque inside honours the 28 Impregilo staff who died building the dam, 12 of them in the 15 February 1966 methane explosion.