It all began on November 21, 1992, when His Holiness John Paul II, through the Papal Bull, an official Church document Quod iusta quidem, announced the creation of the new Catholic Diocese of Koforidua, the tenth in Ghana, carved from the then Diocese of Accra.
That same day, through another Bull Cum primus sit, the Holy Father appointed Rev. Fr. Gabriel Charles PALMER-BUCKLE first Bishop of the newly created diocese, and he was ordained by the Holy Father John Paul II on January 6, 1993, Feast of the Epiphany, in the St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome in Italy.
One month later on February 6, 1993 Bishop Palmer-Buckle was solemnly enthroned in the St. George’s Catholic Cathedral at Koforidua.
AREA:
The Diocese, 18,600 Sq. Kms, covers almost the entire Eastern Region of Ghana. The eastern border lies on the Volta Lake. This lake was formed in the 1960s as a result of the construction of the Akosombo Hydro-electric Dam on the Volta River and is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world.
REGIONAL CAPITAL
Koforidua, with about 136,768 inhabitants, is a municipality.
REGIONAL POPULATION
The Regional Population is about 2.1 million inhabitants. 41.7% of them are below 15 years. 65.4% of the population live in rural areas. Most inhabitants are subsistence farmers and a few fishermen. The remainder live in urban areas where they support themselves through petty trading, casual labour and salaried jobs. The native inhabitants are Akim, Kwahu, Juaben, Akwapim, Guan, Krobo and Akwamu. There are settlers from all over the country and even outside Ghana.
CATHOLIC POPULATION
According to the 2000 census, about 201,335 are Catholics; nearly 10% of the Regional Population and are spread throughout the Region. The rest of the population is made up of other Christian denominations (namely Protestants and Pentecostals), Moslems and followers of various traditional beliefs.
