Patrick Daniel Koroma

Patrick Daniel Koroma, C.S.Sp., MOR (4 May 1950 – 14 December 2018) was the bishop of the Catholic Church in Kenema, Sierra Leone.[2]

Patrick Daniel Koroma
Bishop of the Diocese of Kenema
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Roman Catholic Diocese of Kenema
In office	2002–2018
Predecessor	John C. O'Riordan, C.S.Sp
Successor	TBD
Orders
Ordination	18 Dec 1977
Consecration	26 Apr 2002
Personal details
Born	4 May 1950 Jenneh, Kenema District, British Sierra Leone[1]
Died	14 December 2018 (aged 68) Freetown, Sierra Leone

Styles of Patrick Daniel Koroma
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Early life

Koroma was born to Mamie and Bockarie Koroma.[2][1] He was born and raised in the village of Jenneh, Kandu, Leppiama Chiefdom, Kenema District.[2]

Education

From 1958 to 1962, Kormoma received his primary education at the parish school at Gbado.[2] From 1962 to 1965 he studied at the parish school in Blama.[1] His graduated from Christ the King College in Bo in 1970.[1]

Koroma received his training at Saints Peter and Paul Major Seminary in Ibadan, Nigeria.[1] He did his post graduate studies in Education at the University of Sierra Leone.[1]

Priestly life

He was ordained on 18 December 1977 at the Immaculate Heart Pro-Cathedral of Bo by Thomas Brosnahan, Archbishop of Freetown and Bo.[1] He began his career at a priest in the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Freetown.

In 1978, he became Assistant Parish Priest of St. Francis Parish in Bo.[1] A year later he became the parish priest.[1]

In 1981, Koroma became Chaplain and Lecturer at his alma mater Christ the King College at Bo and he was also the Catholic Youth Chaplain of the Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo.[1]

Koroma was Parish Priest at St. Joseph’s Parish, Njala Komboya, and St. Peter Claver Parish, Damballa from 1982 until 1984).[1] He served as Parish Priest at the Immaculate Conception Parish, Waterloo in 1984 and then at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Freetown in 1990.[1] From 1992 until 2002 he served the parish at St. Edwards’s Catholic Community in Kingtom as well as St. George’s Catholic Community at the Murray Town Army barracks.[1]

From 1984 until 2002, Koroma was Catholic Education Secretary for Sierra Leone.[1] He was appointed National Co-ordinator of the National Catholic Development and Caritas Office in Freetown in 1999 and held this office until 2002.[1]

On 26 April 2002, he was appointed as third Bishop of the Diocese of Kenema by Pope John Paul II and consecrated 29 Jun 2002.[2] He succeeded Bishop John C. O'Riordan.[1]

In 2008, Bishop Koroma was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy where he was fitted with a Cardioverter Defibrillator.[3]

Death

Bishop Koroma died on 14 December 2018.[3] He was buried on 4 January 2019 and his requiem mass was attended by David J. Francis the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, former Vice President Solomon Berewa, former Vice President Dr Joe Demby, other cabinet ministers, members of parliaments, paramount chiefs, the clergy and President Bio described him as "a man of God who served the nation and the world."[3][4]

Pope Francis sent a letter and described Bishop Koroma as "a Holy man of God that lived his entire life in the servitude of God and men".[4]

Honors

On 26 April 2013, Bishop Koroma was made an officer of the Order of the Rokel.[3]

References

1. "Profile of Patrick Daniel Koroma". Catholic Bishop's Conference of Sierra Leone. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
2. "Bishop Patrick Daniel Koroma". David M. Cheney. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
3. "Bishop Patrick Daniel Koroma laid to rest". Awoko. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
4. "President Julius Maada Bio, Former Vice Presidents lay Rt. Rev. Patrick Daniel Koroma to Rest". Sierra Express Media. Retrieved 21 January 2019.

External links

• Profile of Patrick Daniel Koroma
• Catholic-Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}