Fr Augustine Amadu was a friend of Aid to the Church in Need and his death is a tragic loss for the Church in the Diocese of Kenema and for the whole Church.
A priest was murdered in his parish home on Saturday, 30 August, in the Diocese of Kenema, Sierra Leone.
Fr Augustine Amadu was found dead by parishioners following what is believed to have been a robbery.
According to an autopsy, the priest received a heavy blow to the head and was then strangled to death by his assailants, who police believe entered the house through a damaged window. The investigation and search for the perpetrators are ongoing.
Following five years of service at Immaculate Conception parish, where the murder took place, Fr Amadu was preparing to celebrate his farewell Mass on Sunday, 31 August, before moving to a new mission in St John parish, Kailahun.
Fr Augustine was a friend of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Ulrich Kny, the charity’s project director for Sierra Leone, had visited Fr Augustine at the Immaculate Conception parish in 2022. With the help of ACN, the parish had been able to rebuild the roof of the church. Kny expressed shock over the crime.
“When we visited the parish, the community was so excited that Fr Augustine would soon be moving into the rectory that he showed us. It is very sad that he has become the victim of such terrible violence.”
“On behalf of ACN International, we wish to express our deepest condolences to all people affected by Fr Augustine’s sudden death, especially his family and friends, his brothers in priesthood, his parishioners at Immaculate Conception Parish as well as all the people of God in the Diocese of Kenema. Together with you, we are praying for the repose of his soul with the sure hope that he may enjoy the eternal life in the grace of the merciful God, as is promised to all His children. May God reward him abundantly for all his commitment to the Church in your country,” said Ulrich Kny, in a message to the Diocese of Kenema.
The murder has also generated condemnation from other religious confessions within Sierra Leone. In a statement sent to ACN, the Interreligious Council of Sierra Leone said: “Father Amadu was a man of peace, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the spiritual and social upliftment of his community. His untimely death is not only a devastating loss to the Catholic Church but also to the broader religious bodies and social fabric of Sierra Leone. We mourn the passing of a servant of God whose life was dedicated to fostering unity, hope, and moral guidance.”
Sierra Leone is a Muslim-majority country, with Christians making up just over 25 percent of the population. Inter-religious relations are excellent in the country, and the 2023 edition of ACN’s Religious Freedom Report notes no significant incidences of persecution, making this recent case of extreme violence against a Catholic priest even more shocking and surprising.
By Filipe d’Avillez.
