Pope elevates Donkorkrom Vicariate to Diocese, appoints first Bishop
The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom to a full Diocese and appointed the Most Reverend John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, as its first Bishop.
The announcement was made by the Apostolic Nunciature in Ghana in a press statement issued in Accra on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Bishop Asiedu, who until now served as Apostolic Vicar of Donkorkrom, will lead the newly created Diocese following the decision of the Pope.
The Apostolic Nunciature explained that the elevation of the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom to a Diocese signifies the growth and maturity of the Catholic Church in the area.
It noted that an Apostolic Vicariate is a missionary territory established in places where the Church is still developing and not yet fully structured as a Diocese.
According to the statement, the decision by the Holy Father to elevate Donkorkrom to a Diocese reflects confidence in the pastoral, spiritual and institutional development of the local Church.
The Nunciature further explained that with the new status, the Church in Donkorkrom would now function fully within the ordinary hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church and establish diocesan institutions required under canon law.
It added that Bishop Asiedu, who previously served as Apostolic Vicar, now becomes the first Bishop of the Diocese of Donkorkrom with full diocesan authority.
The Nunciature described the development as an important ecclesial milestone for the Catholic Church in Ghana and called on the faithful to support the new Diocese through prayer and collaboration.
The appointment was officially published in Rome at 12 noon yesterday, corresponding to 10:00 a.m. Ghana time.
A brief biography accompanying the statement indicated that Bishop Asiedu was born on May 12, 1962, at Adeemmra-Kwahu in the Eastern Region.
He is a member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and began his religious formation in Tamale in 1987. He made his first religious profession in 1991 and was ordained a Catholic priest on July 19, 1997, at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra.
The statement noted that his missionary and pastoral formation also took him to Mexico and England, where he undertook studies in psycho-spiritual counselling and human development.
Over the years, Bishop Asiedu has held several pastoral and leadership positions within the Church, including Assistant Priest at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Director of the Overseas Training Programme of the SVD Ghana Province, Assistant Novice Master, and Director of the Divine Word Catholic Centre at Nsawam-Adoagyiri.
He also served as Prefect at the SVD Common Formation Centre and has played key roles in the spiritual and human development of seminarians and young priests.
The elevation of Donkorkrom to a Diocese is expected to strengthen the Catholic Church’s missionary and pastoral activities in the area and deepen evangelisation efforts within the Afram Plains enclave and beyond.
With the addition of the new Diocese of Donlorkrom, the Catholic Church in Ghana now has 20 dioceses.
BY GORDON WELLU
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