The Catholic Diocese of Yendi was curved out of the Archdiocese of Tamale and erected on March 16^th, 1999 with our Lady of Lourdes as the Patron Saint and Most Rev. Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai, SVD, as the first Bishop.  Our historical records reveal that the work of evangelization in the now Yendi Diocese goes back as far as 1910 when Fr. Shoening, a German SVD priest, working in the now Republic of Togo visited the Yendi area. Later on in 1925, Bishop Herman, SMA, made a sixteen days trip on bicycle from Kpando to Yendi.

During the years 1928 – 1929 the District Commissioner of Yendi, the Regional Commissioner of Tamale and the Director of Education in Accra made it known that they did not approve of Christianity’s presence and activity in Yendi. Yendi was reserved for Islam. In 1930 however, there was a change in government policy and the Assemblies of God missionaries were given the sole right to work in the then Yendi District. Catholic missionaries continued to be excluded until 1932 when they were allowed. With that decision, the SMA mission entered Bimbilla. Fr. Anthony Smester, SMA was appointed Parish Priest but died of fever in less than a year. Fr. John Doeswijk began visiting Bimbilla regularly and Yendi occasionally until 1947. A teacher catechist was stationed in Bimbilla. From 1948 onwards the white fathers began visiting Yendi. The priests who did it regularly were Frs. Remigius McCoy and Stanislaus Le-Blanc came to Yendi on motorbikes every ...……read more