Dzaipi birthed the first Comboni Priest

Mar 15, 2021 Leader other stories 0

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On Saturday 30th, January 2021 Dzaipi Catholic parish was full of people and no one cared that they needed to observe the Covid 19 SOPs to prevent contracting the virus because everyone was over joyed. Well at the main entrance was a tank full of water and soap where everyone entering the venue was supposed to wash their hands. People manning the entrance to the venue made sure everyone got sanitizer and everyone entering the venue had a face mask on. The excitement in Dzaipi on that sunny Saturday morning was overwhelming, it was the first time many were witnessing a priestly ordination.

A long procession of religious priests, relatives the Deacon and schalasticate, young girls dancing and friends snaked through the crowd to the alter. The enthusiastic congregation braved the 3-hour Ordination mass just to be witnesses to the first priestly ordination in Dzaipi catholic parish. The colorful ceremony attracted people from as far as Karamoja, Arua, Pakele, Kampala, Gulu and Dzaipi itself.

During his homily, the Ordinary Bishop of Arua diocese Sabino Ocan Odooki said it was the first ordination the parish had witnessed after the Comboni missionaries handed it over to the diocese and moved to Indriani. He said when the Comboni missionaries first came to Uganda, they first settled at Dzaipi but later moved to Indriani. This first ordination at the Parish was a Comboni missionaries’ ordination for Isaac Amoko Izakare a Comboni missionary priest and Deacon Ronald Alionzi from Ombachi Parish. Deacon Ronald will be ordained at Ombachi Parish when the time comes.

The Bishop called upon parents in Dzaipi to be generous with their children and give them to the church so that they can help in evangelization and also for the Parish to witness more ordinations.Bishop Sabino said history was repeating itself with the ordination of the first Comboni Missionary in the parish just like when the Comboni missionaries first settled there before going to Indriani. He cautioned parents against praying selfish prayer and giving God conditions. To him, parents should offer their children willingly to God no matter how many they have.

The Bishop added that Arua diocese has the potential of opening more parishes but they are having a problem with human resources, he said they don’t have enough priests to work in the parishes. He noted that the diocese has acquired 60 parishes and recently opened six new parishes with one in Adjumani at Oryagwa but no priests to work in the parishes. The shepherd of Arua diocese said he was grateful to Torit diocese in South Sudan for giving them priests to help in Arua diocese. Read More

By Irene Lamunu

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