Reverend Fr. Godfred Appiah-Marfo is a Catholic priest from Ghana, a West African nation bordered by Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire. He was born on March 4, 1969, in Nyadeyeya, a village in the Ashanti Region’s Amansie West District, to Dominic Akwasi Appiah—a teacher and catechist—and Theresah Adwoa Nsiah, who have now gone before us. He was one of six children, though he has since lost two of his siblings. Following the death of his father, Father Godfred assumed significant responsibility within the family, helping to guide and support his siblings while maintaining strong bonds of unity among them. During this time, the family was upheld by the enduring love, faith, and support of a close-knit extended family, whose solidarity played an important role in their lives.

 

He completed his basic education at Nyadeyeya Roman Catholic Primary School and Nwineso No. 3 Local Authority Middle School, graduating in 1983. Responding to God’s call to the priesthood, he entered the Minor Seminary in 1984 and completed his Ordinary and Advanced Level studies in 1992. He went on to study Philosophy at St. Paul’s Catholic Seminary in Sowutuom, Accra, and later Theology at St. Peter’s Regional Seminary in Pedu, Cape Coast, where he graduated in 2000 with a degree in Theology and Sociology. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 8, 2000.

 

Following his ordination, Father Godfred served as a curate at the Cathedral Church of St. Thomas in Obuasi for two years before being appointed Acting Parish Priest at St. Peter’s Church in Jacobu. In 2003, he was sent to Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome to study Canon Law, earning a Licentiate in 2006. Upon returning to Ghana, he served in the Diocese of Obuasi from 2006 to 2023 in numerous roles, including Diocesan Chancellor, Judicial Vicar, Advocate of the Kumasi Provincial Tribunal, Promoter of Justice, Vicar for Marriages, member of the College of Consultors, diocesan senator, and parish priest in several communities: St. Joseph Parish (Esaase), Holy Trinity Parish (Anyinam), St. Anthony Parish (Esereso), and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (Abompe).

 

Most recently, Father Godfred was called to serve in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, where he was first appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Bridget Parish. He currently serves as a Judge and Promoter of Justice for the Diocesan Tribunal and will become Pastor at St. Michael the Archangel in Glen Allen, VA beginning July 1, 2026. Father Godfred has a great love for sports and music, and he is especially known for his compassionate heart and dedication to serving the poor and those who are suffering.

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