Archbishop Wokorach P’Mony was installed as the Archbishop of Gulu on the 12th July at st. Joseph Cathedra, Gulu.
By Irene Lamunu
On 22nd March 2024, the Papal Nuncio to Uganda, Archbishop, Luigi Bianco announced the appointment of Bishop Raphael Wokorach P’Mony as the new Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese by the Holy See. Ready to take on the appointment with his theme “service with humility,” the Archbishop began his journey to the installation from Nebbi Diocese where he held his final Masses as the Bishop of Nebbi. At Pakwach Bridge, the boundary of Gulu Archdiocese and Nebbi Diocese is where he was received and handed over to Gulu Archdiocese by the Christians of Nebbi. His first stop in Gulu Archdiocese was at Anaka Parish where he celebrated Mass.
When he arrived at Customs Corner in Gulu, he was welcomed with ‘Bwola dance’ which proceeded two kilometers to the Bishop’s Palace. Among the Acholi, Bwola dance is performed as a sign of respect, for special occasions and when a new Royal is installed. It is also performed when welcoming an important person/s. The Archbishop has therefore had a befitting welcome among the Acholi.
As early as 6:45 am on Friday 12th July, the Christians assembled at St Joseph’s Cathedral Compound in For-God village in Gulu, in anticipation of the installation, taking their seats on the chairs placed under the tents; Mass would begin at 9:30 am and by 8:00 am, all the tents spread all over the compound were fully packed with people. Unfortunately for the congregation, the Cathedral could only accommodate Religious and Political leaders to witness the proceedings while the people would only watch the ceremony on screens erected outside the church.
The Archbishop’s installation is an indoor ceremony because the Archbishop would be installed on the Cathedra, which is fixed in the Church. The Procession for the Holy Mass began from the bishop’s residence at exactly 9:00 am with bwola dancers leading the procession, then standing side by side, letting the Bishops of Gulu Ecclesiastical Province walk in the middle, two deacons; one carrying the Pallium on a golden plate and the other with the bible and two priests; one carrying a bible and the other carrying a letter from the Pope led the three Bishops and the two Bishop Emeritus of Lira Diocese, Bishop Giuseppe Franzelli and Archbishop Emeritus, John Baptist Odama while the Archbishop, Bianco Luigi walked behind the procession.
At the main entrance of the Cathedral, Archbishop Wokorach was presented with a crucifix by the Vicar General of Gulu Diocese, Msgr Mathew Odong as a sign of welcoming him to the Cathedral. Archbishop Wokorach kissed it and he was later given water in a bowl, which he used to bless the congregation while entering the Cathedral.
Inside the Church, Archbishop Bianco, swung the thurible with incense all-round the altar, while archbishop Wokorach stood still at the altar with the Bishop of Lira, Lino Wanok and the Emeritus Archbishop, John Baptist Odama. After the incense ritual, Archbishop Bianco went to sit on the Cathedra to begin the ceremony of installing Archbishop Wokorach.
Immediately after the first rite of the Holy Mass, the Pope Nuncio read a letter confirming the appointment of the archbishop. It was read in, Latin, English and Acholi. Archbishop Raphael knelt before the Nuncio who imposed the Pallium, making him wear it on his neck. He was presented with documents and the crosier, a symbol of his authority and jurisdiction and made to sit on the Cathedra. Wokorach is the second Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese, since the inception of Gulu Diocese on 6th December 1923.
On 2nd January 1999, Gulu Diocese was promoted to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gulu by St Pope John Paul II. John Baptist Odama became the first Archbishop of the Metropolitan where he has served for 25 years. The Archdiocese has 31 Parishes with a Catholic population of 1,118,411.
ABOUT ARCHBISHOP RAPHAEL
Archbishop Wokorach was born on 21 January 1961, at Ojigo Village in Wadelai, in the then Diocese of Arua. He attended Ragem Primary School, then the highly selective Saints Peter and Paul Minor (Preparatory) Seminary at Pokea, in Arua, studying Sciences, Mathematics, Social Studies and Latin from 1975 until 1979, for his O-Level education. He transferred to St. Joseph’s College, Ombaci in Arua, where he completed his A-Level education, graduating in 1982, with the equivalent of a high school diploma.
Between 1983 and 1987, Wokorach studied philosophy at Uganda Martyrs’ National Major Seminary Alokolum, in Gulu, Uganda. In 1987, he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, by the Pontifical Urban University, in Rome. He continued with his studies in Kenya, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in 1994. He was ordained priest on 25 September 1993 at Wadelai Parish, in Arua Diocese, by Martin Luluga, the Bishop of Gulu at that time. He was assigned to work in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo and later, he went to Pontifical Urban University in Rome to further his studies.
After Rome, he was assigned to Lome in Togo for three years then taken to a formation house in Chicago, USA to help in the formation of young priests for four years in 2007. He was transferred to Nairobi and assigned to Nairobi Comboni Scholasticate where he worked until 2017. In 2017, the Holy See appointed him as the Pontifical Commissary of Apostles of Jesus, a post he held until 2021.
After 28 years outside Uganda, he was ready to come home after his assignment with the Apostles of Jesus but on 24th March 2021, the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda invited him to his office to break the news of his appointment as the Bishop of Nebbi. Later that year on 14th August 2021, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral, Nebbi, he was ordained Bishop of Nebbi Diocese by Archbishop John Baptist Odama, assisted by Archbishop Luigi Bianco, Titular Archbishop of Falerone and Papal Nuncio to Uganda. He has served as the Bishop of Nebbi from August 2021 until 11th July 2024. He will still serve as the Apostolic Administrator for Nebbi Catholic Diocese until the Holy See appoints another Bishop for Nebbi.
