Profile Of Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr, Ghana’s New Cardinal From Wa

Most Rev. Richard Kuuia Baawobr was born on June 21, 1959, in Tom-Zendagangn, Ko in the Nandon District of Ghana’s Wa Diocese. He had his Primary education at Tom-Zendagangn from 1965 to 1972 and continued at the St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary in Wa from 1971 to 1977.

He had his Secondary Education at the Nandom Secondary School. In 1979, he went to St. Victor’s Major Seminary at Tamale as a Diocesan Seminarian.

Feeling God’s call to be a Missionary, he joined the Society of Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr.) in 1981 after his Philosophical Studies.

Bishop Baawobr has served as a priest since 1987.

He served in the Democratic Republic of Congo for four years, before being transferred to Tanzania, where he served in the House of Formation for three years, and later worked in France, where he again served in the House of Formation.

Most Rev. Baawobr was later elected the first Assistant-General to the Superior-General of the Missionaries of Africa in Rome, a position he served for six years before he was elected the Superior-General where he served another six years.

Pope Francis then appointed Most Rev. Baawobr as the Bishop of Wa after his tenure as Superior-General ended.

He had served as the Bishop of Wa for the past six years.

In 2016, the year that the Holy Father appointed him Bishop, volunteers at the Bishop’s project that takes care of people with mental illnesses started going on the streets looking for patients and providing them with care.

The project that involves parishes, faith-based organizations, religious women and men also brought on board doctors and nurses who started providing free medication.

The Bishop reportedly started using media platforms to create awareness about mental illnesses in a country where stigmatization of people with such challenges is high.

Most Rev. Richard Kuuia Baawobr is currently in charge of Inter-Religious Dialogue on promoting understanding between Christians and Muslims, Ecumenism-Dialogue with other Christian churches, and also in charge of the Clergy.