The Archbishop of Freetown and Bo Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles has paid a visit to the Diocese of Kenema. Thousands of school children, parents, teachers and other stakeholders in the city lined up the main streets and processed from the Holy Trinity Parish ground through Blama road, Hangha road and to the St. Paul’s Cathedral along Mahei Vangahun road in Kenema where a thanksgiving mass was held in his honour.
In his statement the newly appointed Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles says God is always on top of the situation and had the purpose of choosing him to serve his people. The Archbishop maintained that he is happy to be with his people and the people of the Kenema Diocese which he refers to as his origin that has led him so far. He disclosed that he has no idea why he was appointed as the new Archbishop to head the Diocese of both Freetown and Bo.
He added that the new office will be used to promote the affairs of Catholic activities such as education and health. He appealed to the people of Kenema Diocese to work hard in the interest of building the young generation’s capacity so that they will be replaced in due course. Earlier in his welcome address, former Deputy Director of Education East (DDE) Peter Thomas disclosed that St. Kizoto Pre-major seminary in Kenema played a major part in the life of the Bishop, adding that the occasion served as another historic event for the people of the eastern region to see their son as an ambassador of the Catholic Church. He stated that it is a great honour that the Catholic mission in the Diocese of Kenema is welcoming their son back home. Mr. Thomas says the appointment of the Archbishop by the Catholic Church is of no mistake and it gives greater joy to the people of the eastern region. Giving a brief background of the Archbishop he said, Archbishop Dr. Edward Tamba Charles is the son of late Sahr Charles and late Sia Kormoeh Charles. He was born on the 18th of April 1956, in Kainkordu, Soa chiefdom, Kono District, in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone.
He started school at the St. Augustine’s primary school in Kaindordu in 1963, and in 1969 he passed the Selective Entrance Examination to enter Yengema Secondary school in Kono. In 1969 he was baptized by Rev. Fr. Patrick McGiveer, CSSP, and was confirmed in 1973 by His Lordship Bishop Joseph H. Ganda, then Bishop of the Diocese of Kenema. The Bishop of the Kenema Diocese Bishop Patrick Daniel Koroma who was the host Bishop of the ceremony described the occasion as a blessing to the Kenema Diocese in producing people with loyalty in society citing himself as the newly appointed Bishop in Kenema Diocese as an example. He noted that it is not easy to give up everything to serve the church but for the love of God and care for your people and the nation nothing is too big in ones eyes. He congratulated Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles for taking the bold step to work for the people of his nation; he described him as one of the luckiest man from the Kenema Diocese. We have come together to thank God. Today we particularly thank God for raising one of our priests to the order of Bishops. We are grateful to God for this marvelous work and pray that God will protect and guide him to be a good shepherd of the flock entrusted to him.