Ghanaian missionary Priest named Auxiliary Bishop in Ecuador

A Ghanaian missionary priest with the Society of the Divine Word (S.V.D.) and based in Ecuador has been named auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Guayaquil.

The news was confirmed in a statement by the Vatican’s Press Office, which said that the Holy Father had assigned Reverend Fr. John Kwamevi Cudjoe, S.V.D., the titular see of Calama. Until now, he has served as parish priest of Maria Madre de la Iglesia in Huasquillas, in the diocese of Machala.

Born on 27 December 1975 in Accra, Ghana, Fr. Cudjoe was ordained a priest on 30 July 2005 and has held several offices, including parish vicar, spiritual director, professor at the major seminary of Guayaquil, chaplain of the Saint John Paul II Centre, and provincial superior for Ecuador (2017–2023).

He joins a group of African priests working in the diaspora who have increasingly been taking on leadership roles in various dioceses across the world, contributing to the growth of the global Church and serving diverse Catholic communities.