Diocese of Kenema, Sierra Leone

Continent: Western and Northern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Kenema / Kenemaën(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Freetown

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1970.11.11: Established as Diocese of Kenema / Kenemaën(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Freetown and Bo and became suffragan of Freetown and Bo)

Contact Info

Address: Bishop’s House, Dama Road, P.O. Box 200, Kenema, Sierra Leone

Phone: (032) 420.477

Present Prelates

Bishop (2019.01.26 – ...):

Bishop Henry Aruna (60)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Kenema (Roman Rite)

Bishop Henry Aruna (60)
(2019.01.26 – ...)

Bishop of Kenema (Sierra Leone)

In Deo confido

Born:	1964.08.02 (Yemandu, Sierra Leone)
Ordained Priest:	1993.04.16
Consecrated Bishop:	2013.01.05

Priest of Kenema (Sierra Leone) (1993.04.16 – 2012.01.07)

Bishop of Makeni (Sierra Leone) (2012.01.07 – 2015.07.18 not possessed)

Titular Bishop of Nasbinca (2015.07.18 – 2019.01.26)

Auxiliary Bishop of Kenema (Sierra Leone) (2015.07.18 – 2019.01.26)

Bishop of Kenema (Sierra Leone) (2019.01.26 – ...)

Bishop Patrick Daniel Koroma
(2002.04.26 – 2018.12.14)

Born:	1950.05.04 (Sierra Leone)
Ordained Priest:	1977.12.18
Consecrated Bishop:	2002.06.29
Died:	2018.12.14 († 68)

Priest of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone) (1977.12.18 – 2002.04.26)

Bishop of Kenema (Sierra Leone) (2002.04.26 – 2018.12.14)

President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (2010.05 – 2016.05)

Bishop John C. O’Riordan, C.S.Sp.
(1984.06.04 – 2002.04.26)

Born:	1924.01.06 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1952.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1984.12.02
Died:	2016.11.22 († 92)

Bishop of Kenema (Sierra Leone) (1984.06.04 – 2002.04.26)

President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (1992 – 1995)

Bishop Joseph Henry Ganda (later Archbishop)
(1970.11.11 – 1980.09.04)

Born:	1932.03.07 (Serabu, Sierra Leone)
Ordained Priest:	1961.04.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1971.02.21
Died:	2023.08.09 (Freetown, Sierra Leone † 91)

Priest of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone) (1961.04.09 – 1970.11.11)

Bishop of Kenema (Sierra Leone) (1970.11.11 – 1980.09.04)

President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (1980 – 1983)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone) (1980.09.04 – 2007.03.22)

President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (2001 – 2003)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Henry Aruna (60) (2015.07.18 – 2019.01.26)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kenema

Bo (←), Makeni (↖), Guéckédou (↗), Gbarnga (→), Monrovia (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 15,710 km²

Population: 89,775 Catholics (5.3% of 1,678,755 total)

Pastoral Centres: 16 parishes

Personnel: 28 priests (19 diocesan, 9 religious), 31 religious (12 brothers, 19 sisters), 9 seminarians