Bishop Koroma – Friend, mentor and patron of One World Link

Bishop Koroma – Friend, mentor and patron of One World Link

Fr Fabian, Fr Patrick Koroma and Jane Knight, 1985

Fr Patrick Koroma, Bishop of Kenema and one of the original supporters of One World Link, died in November 2018.

Jane Knight met Fr Patrick in 1982, during her second visit to Bo, in the very early stages of setting up the friendship link. He had been ordained for just 4 years. Straightaway, he seemed to appreciate the potential value of the linking idea, and from then onwards, he helped us to think through the issues arising from trying to cross cultures and understand each other, with amazing wisdom and lots of laughter.

He became a parish priest in Bo and was later appointed as the first African Bishop of Kenema where he was tasked with rebuilding the diocese which had suffered some of the worst pounding from the civil war. Later he was confronted with the terrifying outbreak of Ebola. He worked fearlessly with some of our contacts and the local hospital and agencies. He cared for victims even when they died, making sure that everyone had a name attached to their grave, so that they could be found by their relatives and not become anonymous.

Bishop Koroma and local councillors with visiting experts Clive Harridge, Richard Hall, Glenn Fleet and Phil Triggs

Since the beginning of the link he has been an excellent host and friend to many visitors from the UK. In this photograph you see him with members of the One World Link team who worked with Bo City Council in planning for the development of local government services.

After ten years of illness he died in 2018. One World Link has benefitted from his friendship and wisdom and will miss him.

Read Jane Knight’s personal recollections of their long friendship