Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Rev. Fr. Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, a priest of Society of the Divine Vocation (SDV) in the Catholic Church as the first Apostolic Vicar, with Episcopal character for the Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate.

This follows the elevation of the Donkorkrom Apostolic Prefecture in the Afram Plains of the Eastern Region as Apostolic Vicariate. Archbishop Leon B. Kalenga, Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana announced this at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday.

He explained that an Apostolic Vicar is a bishop to whom the Roman pontiff had delegated to oversee a portion of jurisdiction. Rev. Fr. Kumordji was born on March 24, 1956 in Accra as the fifth son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Kumordji.

After his secondary school education at St. Aquinas school in Accra, he undertook philosophical studies at St Victor's Major Seminary in Tamale (1976-79) joined the SVD novitiate in 1979 and professed the first vows on September 8, 1980.

Apostolic Vicar Kumordji had a three-year theological study at the Tamale Seminary from 1980-1983 and ordained a priest by Archbishop Dominic Andoh on July 14, 1985 in Accra after completing a one-year pastoral experience in the Sunyani Diocese.

His priestly ministry began in St. Augustine church in Asesewa (1985-1988), St Maria Goretti church in Battor (1988-1991) as associate pastor before undertaking a Masters Degree in Pastoral Missiology at Loyola University in Chicago (1991-1993).

On his return, Apostolic Vicar Kumordji was appointed in the SVD Formation House in Tamale as formator and taught pastoral theology, pastoral counselling, missiology and homiletics at Victor's Major Seminary in Tamale in 1994.

From 1999 to 2001, he became Prefect of the SVD seminarians and co-ordinator for the Formation on the SVD African Zonal level. During his stay in Tamale, Apostolic Vicar Kumordji was Chairman of the Tamale Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and a member of the Archdiocesan Marriage Tribunal.

In 2001, he went to Fuller Theological College in California to pursue PhD degree in Missiology (2001-2005) and on his return appointed Provincial Superior of the Divine Word Missionaries in Ghana and President of the Conference of Men Religious Superiors. With the erection of the Donkorkrom Apostolic Prefecture in the Afram Plains, he became the first Apostolic Prefect on June 12, 2007 up to date.

Apostolic Vicar Kumordji, in brief remarks promised total and unparalleled loyalty and obedience to the Catholic Church. He pledged to co-operate and collaborate with the clergy, religious and lay faithfuls in the area to achieve growth in the church.