The Catholic Church in Ghana with her wholistic missionary zeal is one of the countries perhaps on the African continent and beyond to count her blessings as it currently has nine Missionary Bishops, four in active service in Ghana, one retired, two outside the country, one has died and one appointed on May 22, 2024.
The appointment of Ghanaian Missionary Priests as Bishops in the West African country is indeed becoming a trend and a plus for the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana (CMSR-GH).
Ghana has Male Missionary Congregations working in various Dioceses in Ghana. Notable among them are the Society of Divine Word (SVD), Society of African Missions (SMA), Order of Friars Minor Conventual (Conventual Franciscan Friars), Congregation of Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Missionaries of Africa (M. AFr.), Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), the Congregation of the Servants of Charity, (Guanellians) and Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ).
Since 1998, some Ghanaian Missionary Priests from some of the Congregations listed above have been appointed as Bishops. The latest was on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 when Pope Francis appointed a new Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Wa in the person of Rev. Fr. Francis Bomansaan, M. Afr., the Deputy Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa (M. Afr.). He replaces His Eminence Richard Cardinal Baawobr, M. Afr., who died on November 27, 2022 in Rome.
In a congratulatory Message from the President of the Conference of Major Superiors, Ghana, Very Rev. Paul Ennin, SMA, the Conference extended its prayerful wishes to the new Bishop, saying, “We are with you in Prayers.”
“The Conference and all Consecrated Men and Women wish you a fruitful ministry as shepherd of his flock in Wa,” the message indicated.
It was the prayer of the CMSR-GH that Bishop-Elect Bomansaan would continue the great work of “your predecessor and Confrere, Cardinal Richard Baawobr started.”
Down the memory lane, the first Ghanaian Missionary Priest of the Society of Divine Word (SVD) to be appointed a Bishop is the Most Rev. Franklyn Atese Nubuasah, SVD, currently Archbishop “ad personam”of Diocese of Gaborone in Botswana.
Hailing from Likpe in the Ho Diocese of Ghana’s Volta Region, he was appointed an Apostolic Vicar for Francistown also in Botswana on June 27, 1998.
On October 2, 2017, he was appointed the Bishop of Francistown and on June 6, 2019, he was appointed the Bishop of Gaborone. He was appointed the Archbishop “ad personam” of Gaborone Diocese on July 5, 2021.
The title Archbishop “ad personam” is conferred on some Bishops who are not Archbishop of an Archdiocese. They hold the title not because of the See that they head but because it has been granted to them personally (ad personam) Thus, the Diocese of Gaborone remains a Diocese.
The Most Rev. Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai, SVD, retired Bishop of Yendi, is the second Ghanaian Missionary Priest to be appointed Bishop. On March 16, 1999, he was named the Bishop of Yendi Diocese in then Northern Region. As a member of the Society of Divine Word, he retired from active service on June 3, 2022 after reaching the canonical age of 75. He hails from La in Accra.
The third Ghanaian Missionary Priest to be ordained Prelate is Most Rev. Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, SVD, a member of the Society of Divine Word. He was first appointed an Apostolic Prefect of Donkorkrom Apostolic Prefecture on June 12, 2007 and later elevated as an Apostolic Vicar of Donkorkrom Vicariate with Episcopal rights on January 19, 2010. On March 16, 2017, he was appointed the Bishop of Keta-Akatsi Diocese.
Most Rev. Dennis Kofi Agbenyadzi, SMA is the fourth Ghanaian Missionary Priest to be ordained Bishop. As a member of the Society of African Missions 9SMA), he was appointed a Bishop of Berbérati in the Central African Republic (CAR) on May 14, 2012. He hails from Agbedrafor in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese of the Volta Region.
The fifth Ghanaian Missionary to become a Prelate is the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp. He was appointed Bishop of Sekondi-Takoradi on July 3, 2014. On January 2, 2019, he was appointed the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra. He is a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, also known as the Spiritans. He hails from Apowa in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana.
On July 14, 2015, the Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD was appointed the Bishop of Ho, becoming the sixth Ghanaian Missionary Priest to be appointed a Prelate. He hails from Tegbi in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese in the Volta Region and currently the Vice President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
The seventh Ghanaian Missionary Priest to get an Episcopal appointment was the Most Rev. Richard Kuiaa Baawobr, M. Afr. He was appointed Bishop of Wa on February 17, 2016 and on August 22, 2022, he was created a Cardinal. He died on November 27, 2022 in Rome. Before his demise, he was the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). He hails from Tom-Zendagangn, in the Nandom District of Ghana’s Upper West Region.
The Apostolic Vicar of Donkorkrom, the Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, is the eighth to be appointed as Bishop on February 11, 2019. He is a member of the Divine Word Missionary. He hails Adeemmra in the Afram Plains.
The ninth is therefore the Missionary of Africa Bishop-Elect Francis Bomansaan who was appointed on May 22, 2024.
By Damian Avevor
