BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRO-SIERRA LEONEAN " THE MOST REV CHARLES ALLIEU CAMPBELL " THE CATHOLIC BISHOP OF BO IN SIERRA LEONE : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     BLACK                              SOCIAL                        HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               PROFILE OF BISHOP CHARLES ALLIEU MATTHEW CAMPBELL

Most Rev. Charles A. M. Campbell was born to Mr. Charles Campbell and Madam Mamie Messie Momoh, a Muslim couple, on 25th January 1961. Young Allieu followed the religion of his parents until he entered University Secondary School, a Catholic school at Njala. He was then enrolled in the catechumenate and received baptism in his second year in secondary school, with the name Charles, after St. Charles Lwanga, the leader of the Uganda Martyrs. It was during his secondary education that Charles felt the call to the Catholic priesthood. And so he pursued his priestly studies after his GCE O’levels in 1977. After the Spiritual Year at St. Kizito’s Pre-Major Seminary in Kenema in September 1977, Charles proceeded to St. Paul’s Major Seminary in Gbarnga, Bong County, Liberia, where he studied Philosophy and Theology from October 1978 to June 1985. He was ordained to the diaconate on 28th April 1985, which concluded seminary formation, and was ordained to the priesthood a year later, on 9th April 1986. After his priestly ordination, Fr. Charles Campbell worked extensively in the Archdiocese where he gained a lot of pastoral experiences from the priests with whom he worked. He served in various capacities in the pastoral field, interspersed with studies. In 1995 he entered the priestly formation ministry where he has served for the past fifteen years. In the seminary Fr. Charles Campbell lectured courses in Moral Theology and Pastoral Psychology. He also served in an administrative role in the seminary as Dean of Students. In addition to his official seminary duties, he was the priest-in-charge of the St. Paul’s Catholic Community at Regent. Fr. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Philosophical Studies, a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree in Theology, and a Masters in Theology (M.Th) degree majoring in Moral Theology. He also has a diploma in Counselling Skills, and an Advanced Diploma in Christian Leadership and Spirituality. Of his nearly twenty-five years in the priesthood, Fr. Campbell has spent about fifteen years in formation work in St. Paul’s Major Seminary. And he was still lecturing and serving as official Spiritual Director of the major seminary when he was appointed the first bishop of the new Catholic Diocese of Bo.