Appointment of a new bishop: Fr. Kwamevi John Cudjoe, SVD

On November 11, 2025, the Holy See announced that His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed our confrere, Fr. Kwamevi John Cudjoe, SVD, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Guayaquil in Ecuador.

Curriculum Vitae:

Date of birth: December 27, 1975.
Place of birth: Accra, Diocese of Accra, Ghana.
Parents: John C.K. Cudjoe and Felicia Naa Densua Dodoo.
Novitiate: July 29, 1999, in Nkwatia.
First Vows: August 1, 2000, in Nkwatia.
Perpetual vows: September 8, 2004, in Kpehe-Accra.
Priestly Ordination: July 30, 2005, in Tema.
First assignment: Ecuador (2005).

Since his ordination to the priesthood, he has lived in ECU Province and exercised different ministries and responsibilities:

He has held the following positions: Parish Vicar, Spiritual Director, and Professor at the Major Seminary of Guayaquil; Vice-Provincial and Member of the Permanent Formation Team of the Divine Word Missionaries; Chaplain of the St. John Paul II Center in Guayaquil; Pastor of various parishes in Guayaquil; and Provincial Superior for Ecuador from 2017 to 2023. Most recently, he was Pastor of María Madre de la Iglesia in Huasquillas in the Diocese of Machala.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guayaquil was erected in 1838 from the Diocese of Quito.
The archdiocese covers 2,302 square kilometers and has 2,314,700 Catholics in a total population of 2,815,130.
The archdiocese has 223 parishes, 356 priests (233 diocesan and 123 religious), 32 permanent deacons, and 547 members of religious institutes (334 female and 213 male) (2024).

We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Fr. Kwamevi John Cudjoe. His appointment is an honor and recognition for Fr. Kwamevi John Cudjoe and the Society of the Divine Word. As we express our gratitude to God for His new gift to the Church, we humbly request His blessings upon His life and mission, and we hope that His wisdom will continue to be a source of guidance and inspiration for many.

Rome, November 11, 2025
Anselmo Ricardo Ribeiro, SVD
Superior General