Reported by: Prince Saah
Monrovia, Liberia—In the midst of persistent public anxiety about the lack of publicly available autopsy and police investigative reports regarding the deaths of two Catholic priests, Rev. Father Alphonsus B. Mombo and Rev. Father Roland G. Biah of the Archdiocese of Monrovia, their burial rituals started on Wednesday, May 27.
Metropolitan Archbishop Gabriel Blamo Jubwe notified priests, religious authorities, lay adherents of faith, the Archdiocesan Curia, Stella Maris Polytechnic, and Liberians in an official correspondence dated May 9, 2026, that the Liberian National Police had finished all necessary investigations related to the deaths, including an autopsy.
According to the archbishop, the police, through the coroner’s office, communicated to the Church that the remains of the two priests had been released to the archdiocese to proceed with burial arrangements. “On March 20, 2026, I informed you that the Liberian National Police had requested the archdiocese not to carry out any burial arrangements for our two deceased brother priests and to preserve their remains pending the conclusion of police investigations, including a possible autopsy,” Archbishop Jubwe stated in the memo.
The archbishop further noted that the archdiocese was grateful to the police, the Ministry of Justice, and all individuals involved in the process. Also, he thanked the families of the deceased priests for their “patience, understanding, and cooperation throughout this difficult period.” The results of the autopsy report and the specifics of the police investigation have not been made public by the police or the Church, despite confirmation that the autopsy and investigations concluded. This has led to ongoing public speculation and demands for openness.
Additionally, the homegoing events start on Wednesday, May 27, at 5:00 PM with a candlelight vigil at St. Anthony Parish. The Gardnersville Deanery was in charge of planning the event. The priests’ bodies were taken from Striker Funeral Home to the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Broad Street at 3:30 PM on Thursday, May 28, 2026. This Friday, May 29, at 10:00 AM, the Sacred Heart Cathedral will host a Mass of Resurrection as part of the last burial rites. The Queen of Peace Shrine will be the place of burial.
The archdiocese has urged institutions, groups, and individuals who would like to assist with the funeral arrangements to get in touch with Very Reverend Ambrose Dayouga Kroma, the vicar general. Archbishop Jubwe called on the faithful to continue praying for the eternal repose of the departed priests and for strength and consolation for their families and the entire archdiocese.
