Diocese of

Makeni

Sierra Leone

Continent: Western and Northern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Makeni / Makenen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Freetown

Neighbouring Dioceses: Freetown (↙), Conakry (↖), Kankan (↗), Guéckédou (→), Kenema (↘), Bo (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1952.04.03: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Makeni / Makenen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Freetown and Bo)
1962.02.24: Promoted as Diocese of Makeni / Makenen(sis) (Latin) (without ecclesiastical province)
1970.11.11: Became suffragan of Freetown and Bo

Contact Info

Address: Bishop’s House, P.O. Box 1, Teko Road, Makeni, Sierra Leone

Phone: (076) 696.961

Present Prelates

Bishop (2023.02.11 – ...):

Bishop Bob John Hassan Koroma (54)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Makeni (Roman Rite)

Bishop Bob John Hassan Koroma (54)
(2023.02.11 – ...)

Bishop of Makeni (Sierra Leone)

Born:	1971.11.17 (Kamabai, Sierra Leone)
Ordained Priest:	1999.04.25
Consecrated Bishop:	2023.05.13

Priest of Makeni (Sierra Leone) (1999.04.25 – 2023.02.11)

Bishop of Makeni (Sierra Leone) (2023.02.11 – ...)

Bishop Natale Paganelli, S.X. (69)
(Apostolic Administrator 2012.04.11 – 2023.02.11)

Bishop Henry Aruna (61)
(2012.01.07 – 2015.07.18 not possessed)

Bishop of Kenema (Sierra Leone)

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 George Biguzzi, S.X.
(1986.11.17 – 2012.01.07)

Born:	1936.02.04 (Calisese di Cesena, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1960.10.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1987.01.06
Died:	2024.07.01 (Parma, Italy † 88)

Bishop of Makeni (Sierra Leone) (1986.11.17 – 2012.01.07)

President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (1998 – 2001)

President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (2004.04 – 2010.05)

Bishop Augusto Fermo Azzolini, S.X.
(1962.02.24 – 1986.11.17)

Born:	1908.12.20 (Roccabianca, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1931.04.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1962.06.24
Died:	1992.07.24 († 83)

Prefect Apostolic of Makeni (Sierra Leone) (1952.07.19 – 1962.02.24)

Bishop of Makeni (Sierra Leone) (1962.02.24 – 1986.11.17)

President of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone / ITCABIC (1977 – 1980)

Prefects Apostolic of Makeni (Roman Rite)

Fr. Augusto Fermo Azzolini, S.X. (later Bishop)
(1952.07.19 – 1962.02.24)

(see above)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral, Makeni

Freetown (↙), Conakry (↖), Kankan (↗), Guéckédou (→), Kenema (↘), Bo (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 35,936 km²

Population: 103,554 Catholics (4.1% of 2,508,201 total)

Pastoral Centres: 27 parishes, 2 missions

Personnel: 78 priests (43 diocesan, 35 religious), 142 religious (77 brothers, 65 sisters), 14 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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