Joseph Ganda (bishop)

He retired 2 March 2007, after almost thirty-six years of Catholic ministry. He was replaced as archbishop by Edward Tamba Charles.

On 23 November 1980 he was installed as the first native-born archbishop of the Archdiocese of Freetown in Sierra Leone. While archbishop, Ganda oversaw the construction of the St. Paul Cathedral in Kenema, the St. Paul's Seminary in Regent, Freetown, and he is credited with encouraging young people to join the service of the Church, either as priests or nuns.

On 9 April 1961 he was ordained the first priest of Sierra Leone (just two weeks before its political independence). He was made the first Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Kenema in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone in 1971.

Ganda's ordination took place on 9 April 1961 at the Immaculate Heart Church in Bo. As Ganda was Sierra Leone's first diocesan priest, it was a historic event.

Born in the village Serabu in the Bo district, he was the first in the area to study for the priesthood. He completed seminary training at Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu, Nigeria in 1955 returning home a Deacon.

He applied to Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu, Nigeria in 1955. The Bishop approved his application however he requested that Ganda do a year-long probation at the Catholic Training College in Bo under the supervision of Fr. Andrew O’Toole. Ganda distinguished himself during his probation, teaching French to the first students at Christ the King College.

He entered Bigard Memorial Seminary in 1955. He remained there for 7 uninterrupted years of training and returned to Sierra Leone as a Deacon.

The Most Reverend Joseph Henry Ganda, Archbishop Emeritus, (born 22 March 1932 in Serabu, Bo District, British Sierra Leone) is the retired Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo.