All is now set for the official installation of Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, S.V.D., a Roman Catholic prelate, as the first Bishop of the newly elevated Diocese of Donkorkrom in the Afram Plains region of Ghana.
The National Catholic Secretariat announced that the historic installation of the prelate, who is a member of the Society of the Divine Word (S.V.D.), is scheduled for 8 August 2026.
Credit: Catholic trends.
Background and Ecclesiastical Timeline
Born in May 1962, Bishop Asiedu previously served as the Vicar Apostolic of Donkorkrom before this historic promotion.
He joined the S.V.D. formation programme in 1987 and completed his philosophy and theology studies at St. Victor’s Major Seminary in Tamale.
Ordained a Catholic priest on July 19, 1997, at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra, he served as assistant priest at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish (Kwahu Tafo), S.V.D. Ghana Province Treasurer, assistant novice master, and director of the Divine Word Catholic Centre in Nsawam-Adoagyiri.
His missionary training also took him to Mexico and England, where he undertook studies in psycho-spiritual counseling and human development.
He was appointed as the Apostolic Vicar of Donkorkrom by Pope Francis in February 2019 and ordained a bishop in May 2019.
On 12 May 2026 (coinciding with his 64th birthday), the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom to a full Diocese. Bishop Asiedu was appointed as its first local ordinary.
Service to the Church in Ghana
Bishop Asiedu has been a staunch advocate for youth ministry, notably serving as the Episcopal Co-Chair for Laity, Women, and Youth for the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Located in the Eastern Region of Ghana, the Donkorkrom Diocese spans roughly 5,040 square kilometers, serving a population of around 228,000 people, with a growing Catholic community.
Pope Leo XIV elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom, Ghana, to a full Catholic Diocese, appointing Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, S.V.D. as its first local bishop. His formal installation is scheduled for Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Donkorkrom.
The Vatican’s decision elevated the area to a diocese, making it a suffragan of the Metropolitan See of Accra. The installation will be the culmination of a weeks-long leadership transition, overseen by the National Catholic Secretariat.
