NEW YORK- Fr. Henry Aruna was born to the Late
Mr. Matthew J. Aruna and Mrs. Margaret M. Aruna, a Catholic couple, on the 2nd
August 1964. The young Henry Aruna was given an infant baptism at the Holy
Spirit Parish, Kenema, then the College Chapel, in 1968.
He attended St. Paul’s Primary School, Kenema; RC School, Kanike, RC School
Fadugu and RC School, Kabala (Diocese of Makeni) in the 1970s. It was during
his secondary education at Holy Trinity in Kenema that Henry Aruna felt the
call to the Catholic priesthood. He entered the then St. Kizito’s Junior
Seminary, Kenema. After his GCE O’levels and Spiritual Year at St. Kizito’s
Pre- Major Seminary, Henry Aruna entered St. Paul’s Major Seminary in Gbarnga,
Liberia in 1985. He finished his seminary training in Makeni and was ordained
to the deaconate in 1992 by Most Rev. George Biguzzi at the St. Francis Chapel,
off Azzolini high way, Makeni. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 16th
1993 in Kenema by Most Rev. John O’Riordan C. S. Sp.
After his priestly ordination, Fr. Henry Aruna worked in the Diocese of Kenema
from 1993 to 1994; he worked in the then Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo from
1994 to 1995, in the Diocese of Kankan in the Republic of Guinea from 1995 to
1996 and in the Diocese of Makeni from 1996 to 1999.
He served in various capacities in the pastoral field, interspersed with
studies. In 1996 he entered the priestly formation ministry, at St Paul’s Major
Seminary, Makeni and Freetown (Kingtom and Regent) where he has served for 13
years. In the seminary, Fr. Henry Aruna lectured courses in History and Systematic
Philosophy. He also served in administrative roles in the seminary as Director
of Pastoral Work, Dean of Students and Seminary Bursar. In addition to his
official seminary duties, he was the priest-in-charge of the Blessed Michael
Tansi Catholic Community at Goderich barracks in Freetown (Our Lady Star of the
Sea Parish, Juba).
Fr. Henry Aruna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Humanities, a
Bachelor of Divinity degree in Theology, a Licentiate in Philosophy (M. Phil)
from the Pontifical Unrbaniana University in Rome, and a Master’s in Education
(M. Ed) from Njala University, Sierra Leone, majoring in Educational
Administration. He also has a certificate in Counseling Skills, Christian
Leadership and Spirituality from the Institute of St. Aselm in the United
Kingdom.
Fr. Henry Aruna was still lecturing in the Major Seminary and serving as
Secretary General and National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS)
for the Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops’ Conference of The Gambia and Sierra
Leone from 2007 until January 7th, 2012, when he was appointed the first Sierra
Leonean bishop of Makeni and the third bishop after Bishop Augustus Azzolini
(1962-1986) and Bishop George Biguzzi (1986-2012).
The newly appointed Catholic bishop of Kenema is a peoples’ person and a servant of the faithful. While in St. Paul’s major catholic Seminary, he was prefect of the entire seminary student body in his seventh year before his deaconate ordination. i
