The diocese of Arua was forced to evacuate the three priests to Ediofe Cathedral parish for their safety and handed their residence and the parish buildings to the police for protection. Monsignor Kasto guided that the Christians of Oluko Parish should seek for all pastoral care in the nearby chapels and zonal centers.
The administration of
Arua Catholic Diocese has temporarily suspended all Pastoral activities in Oluko
Catholic Parish after angry youth evicted three Priests over the weekend.
The Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Kennedy Onziga with his two colleagues Fr. Alphonse and Fr. Francis, all
of Apostles of Jesus Congregation, were rowdily sent away from their residence
by over a thousand people on allegations of mismanaging church resources.
The diocese of Arua was
forced to evacuate the three priests to Ediofe Cathedral parish for their
safety and handed their residence and the parish buildings to
the police for protection.
Monsignor Kasto Adeti the
Vicar General of Arua diocese told URN today that all Pastoral activities
including Holy Mass, administration of Sacraments and Lenten commemoration with
Ways of the Cross have temporarily been suspended at Oluko Parish pending
further decision.
Monsignor Kasto added
that all the Christians of Oluko Parish should seek for all pastoral care in
the near-by chapels and Zone centers.
// Cue in; These programmes they are.…//Cue out; cause of the problem.…. //But the abrupt closure of
the parish following the chaotic eviction of the three priests has caused
immense psychological suffering among some of the Christians in the Parish.
Some of the women who
have spent most of their time seeking spiritual nourishment at the Parish sank into tears and wept as they called for help in local Lugbara dialect upon
receiving the news of suspension of all pastoral care activities in the Parish.
“I have no relative that’s why I’m always at this
church to seek consolation, those who did this act, I pray let Jesus open their
hearts to seek forgiveness so that the church is opened for us. All my
relatives have died and I have always sought for peace in the church, I’m
sickly and this is where I have often got comfort in the Lord, where will I go next,
it has touched my heart/The Satan has destroyed this church; they have taken
away Jesus for us from the Church, we are suffering and do not know what to do,
please we ask for forgiveness, many of us do not have relatives and we seek
comfort from the church here,
// Cue in; I cry because of.…//Cue out; here in the church...... //
Some unconfirmed reports indicate
that the three Priests will not be sent back to Oluko and
the Diocese of Arua is considering taking over the management of Oluko Parish
which has reportedly lagged behind the Catholic Church standards with most structures dilapidated as no renovation activities have been undertaken on them for the
last 20 years.
Candia Stephen
Freelancer