Metropolitan Archdiocese of Freetown, Sierra Leone

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2011.01.15 – ...):

Archbishop Charles Edward Tamba (67)

Vice-President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Freetown (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Charles Edward Tamba (67)
(2011.01.15 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Freetown (Sierra Leone)
Vice-President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC

Duc in altum

Born:	1956.04.18 (Kainkordu, Sierra Leone)
Ordained Priest:	1986.04.04
Consecrated Bishop:	2008.05.14

Metropolitan Archbishop of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone) (2008.03.15 – 2011.01.15)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Freetown (Sierra Leone) (2011.01.15 – ...)

Vice-President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (2015? – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Freetown and Bo (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Charles Edward Tamba (67)
(2008.03.15 – 2011.01.15)

(see above)

Archbishop Joseph Henry Ganda (91)
(1980.09.04 – 2007.03.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone)

Born:	1932.03.07 (Serabu, Sierra Leone)
Ordained Priest:	1961.04.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1971.02.21

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)

Archbishop Thomas Joseph Brosnahan, C.S.Sp.
(1970.11.11 – 1980.09.04)

Born:	1905.03.30 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1929.06.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1953.03.07
Died:	1996.01.26 († 90)

Bishop of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone) (1952.12.11 – 1970.11.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone) (1970.11.11 – 1980.09.04)

President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (1971 – 1975)

Bishops of Freetown and Bo (Roman Rite)

Bishop Thomas Joseph Brosnahan, C.S.Sp. (later Archbishop)
(1952.12.11 – 1970.11.11)

(see above)

Bishop Ambrose Kelly, C.S.Sp.
(1950.04.18 – 1952.02.12)

Born:	1900.06.24 (England)
Ordained Priest:	1928.06.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1937.08.24
Died:	1952.02.12 († 51)

Titular Bishop of Altava (1937.05.18 – 1950.04.18)

Vicar Apostolic of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) (1937.05.18 – 1950.04.18)

Bishop of Freetown and Bo (Sierra Leone) (1950.04.18 – 1952.02.12)

Vicars Apostolic of Sierra Leone (Roman Rite)

Bishop Ambrose Kelly, C.S.Sp.
(1937.05.18 – 1950.04.18)

(see above)

Bishop Bartholomew Stanley Wilson, C.S.Sp.
(1933.05.23 – 1936.04.16)

Born:	1884.05.27 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1913.10.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1924.06.09
Died:	1938.10.28 († 54)

Titular Bishop of Acmonia (1924.01.04 – 1938.10.28)

Vicar Apostolic of Bagamoyo (Tanzania) (1924.01.09 – 1933.05.23)

Vicar Apostolic of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) (1933.05.23 – 1936.04.16)

Bishop John Joseph O’Gorman, C.S.Sp.
(1903.11.09 – 1932)

Born:	1866.05.08 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1889.10.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1903.10.28
Died:	1935.04.13 († 68)

Titular Bishop of Amastris (1903.09.14 – 1935.04.13)

Vicar Apostolic of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) (1903.11.09 – 1932)

Fr. James Browne, C.S.Sp.
(1892 – 1903.04.22)

Born:	1836.12.04 (Ireland)
Died:	1903.04.22 († 66)

Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) (1892 – 1903.04.22)

Fr. Edouard Blanchet, C.S.Sp.
(1864 – 1892)

Born:	(France)
Died:	1896

Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) (1864 – 1892)

Venerable Bishop Melchior-Marie-Joseph Marion de Brésillac, S.M.A.
(1858.04.13 – 1859.06.25)

Born:	1813.12.02 (France)
Consecrated Bishop:	1846.10.04
Died:	1859.06.25 († 45)

Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Coimbatore (India) (1845.03.16 – 1850.04.03)

Titular Bishop of Prusa (1845.03.16 – 1859.06.25)

Vicar Apostolic of Coimbatore (India) (1850.04.03 – 1855.03.18)

Founder of Society of African Missions (1856.12.08)

Vicar Apostolic of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) (1858.04.13 – 1859.06.25)

Superior General of Society of African Missions (1858.04.13 – 1859.06.25)

Bishop and religious of Society of African Missions.

Contact Info

Address: Santanno House, P.O. Box 893, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Phone: (022) 224.590

Statistics

Area: 4,677 km²

Population: 87,500 Catholics (4.7% of 1,872,675 total) (2020)

Statistics: 11 parishes, 41 priests (20 diocesan, 21 religious), 52 lay religious (31 brothers, 21 sisters), 4 seminarians (2020)

History

1858.04.13: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Sierra Leone (from Apostolic Vicariate of Deux Guinées et Sénégambie)
1897.10.18: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of French Guinea
1903.04.18: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Liberia
1950.04.18: Promoted as Diocese of Freetown and Bo (English) / Liberæ Urbis et Boën(sis) (Latin) (without ecclesiastical province)
1952.04.03: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Makeni
1970.11.11: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo (English) / Liberæ Urbis et Boën(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Kenema and Makeni and lost territory to establish Diocese of Kenema)
2011.01.15: Renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Freetown / Liberæ Urbis (Latin) (lost territory to establish Diocese of Bo and gained suffragan see Bo)