Barely a week of naming a Cardinal from Ghana, His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Very Rev. Fr. Matthew Yitiereh, Vicar General of Tamale Archdiocese as the new Bishop of the Yendi Diocese.
He succeeds the Most Rev. Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai, SVD, who has served the Diocese for almost 23 years as its first Bishop.
The announcement was contained in a release from the Apostolic Nunciature by Rev. Msgr. Maher Chammas, Charge d’Affairs on Friday, June 3, 2022.
It was made simultaneously at the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral Parish at Yendi by the Charge d’Affairs and at the National Catholic Secretariat in Accra by Very Fr. Lazarus Anondee, Secretary General
With his appointment, Bishop-Elect Yitiereh becomes the second Bishop of the Yendi Diocese which was erected in 1999. Until his appointment, he was the Vicar General of the Tamale Catholic Archdiocese.
The Bishop-Elect was born on January 1, 1961 at Nandom Pina in the Upper West Region of Ghana, from a very religious Catholic parents, Mr. Richard Yitiereh and Mrs. Sabina Yitiereh, who are both deceased.
He had his primary education at Basel Primary School in Upper West Region from 1969 to 1975. He entered St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary, Wa, obtaining ‘O’ Level from 1976 to 1982, and proceeded to St. Hubert Minor Seminary, Kumasi for his ‘A’ Level from 1984 to 1986. He studied his philosophical and theological studies at St. Victor’s Major Seminary, Tamale from 1987 to 1995.
Bishop-Elect Yitiereh was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Tamale on 22 July 1995 by Most Rev. Gregory E. Kpiebaya, the then Archbishop of Tamale. His first appointment was to the Holy Spirit Parish at Chamba as Assistant Priest from 1995 to 1997.
He was then appointed as Parish Priest in Sts. Peter and Paul Parish at Education Ridge from 1997 to 2002 and at the same time, he was the Archdiocesan Youth Chaplain He was also appointed as the Archdiocesan Master of Ceremonies from 1997 to 2009. From 2002 to 2004, he took further studies in Ireland obtaining Master in Theology and specialized in Pastoral theology.
He also obtained a Certificate in 20l6 on Human Resource Management, Christian Organization for Religious Advance Trust (CORAT) in Kenya.
Upon his return to Ghana from Ireland, he was appointed Cathedral Administrator of the Our Lady of Annunciation Cathedral, Tamale from 2004 to 2015. During these years, he also held different positions as being appointed or elected: President of the Tamale Archdiocesan Priests As5ociation (2005-2010): Chairman of the Priests Senate and Assembly of Tamale Archdiocese (2005-2010); Chairman of Tamale Province Pastoral Conference (2005-2010); Chairman of TEPPCON Commission on Liturgy and Sacraments (2005-2011); Chaplain of the Christian Mothers Association of the Archdiocese (2007 -2012); Board Chairman of Tamale Community Health Nurses Training School (2010- 2015) and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of Cardinal Dery Beatification and Inauguration Process (2013-2015).
From 2011 to the present Fr. Yitiereh was appointed the Vicar General of the Archdiocese or Tamale. Among other assignments he was serving to the present are: Dean of Tamale Central Deanery from 2005; Chairman, Archdiocesan Transport Committee from 2012; Board Chairman of Tamale Institute of Cross Cultural Studies (TICCS) and Member of the Archdiocesan Finance Committee from 2014.
From 2015, he served the following positions: Episcopal Delegate of Cardinal Dery Beatification and Canonization Process; Human Resource Manager of Tamale Archdiocesan Catholic Secretariat; Chairman, Estates and Building Committee; Board Member, Catholic Guest House Limited. From 2016 he was the Board Chairman of St. Charles Minor Seminary/High School and Priest In-Charge, Blessed Sacrament Chaplaincy and from 2019, he was a member of the Archdiocesan Records Management Committee.
