By Father Simon Peter Engurai
Diocese of Soroti (Uganda) Mission Coordinator
Every year, as part of the Mission Cooperation Plan (MCP), parishes in the Diocese of Columbus host a group from the missions. The purpose of this program is twofold. First, it’s a reminder to the faithful that we are a universal body of Christ, the Church. Second, it provides an opportunity to support the spread of the Gospel and to meet the needs of the brothers and sisters in the mission countries.
This year, the diocese hosted and supported, among others, the Diocese of Soroti, Uganda.
The Diocese of Soroti is in eastern Uganda and was formed by Pope St. John Paul II in 1980. The population of the area covered by the diocese is 3.5 million people, and the Catholic population is 1.7 million people, representing about 45%. Compared to the rest of the country, the region is poor owing to decades of civil war and dependence on subsistence agriculture.
In spite of these challenges, the Catholic faith is growing exponentially. Every church in the diocese is filled beyond capacity on Sundays. The people walk up to 7 miles to church, and many end up standing outside because the church is full.
On average, 30,000 infant baptisms take place each year. Diocesan liturgical events such as ordinations attract an average of 3,500 people. There are no churches or facilities that can accommodate such numbers. As a result, these liturgies are held outdoors.
In March 2019, after almost five years without a bishop, the diocese welcomed a native priest, Joseph Eciru-Oliach, 48, as its third bishop. Appointed by Pope Francis, Bishop Eciru-Oliach inherited a diocese with major needs and challenges, but he soon embarked on meeting these challenges with energy and enthusiasm.
In response to the growth in the faith, the long distances people must walk to church and the overflowing churches, the new bishop within the first year of his tenure created 15 parishes and has since then created another 10. That means 25 new parishes were formed within three years.
To those who challenged the bishop’s efforts as being impractical and unachievable given the lack of funding, he said that when the first missionaries came to the region, the conditions were worse than today. Furthermore, he assured that the Lord will always provide for His work.
This unprecedented initiative from the new bishop has stirred excitement in the local populations that now can have a priest in their community. The celebration of the Eucharist and other sacraments is available on a daily and weekly basis.
The growth in the faith is not only being consolidated but also is getting an exponential impetus. Most of these new parishes have no proper churches and rectories and must use makeshift structures and facilities. The local people, although poor, are giving their time, energy and resources toward establishing their new parishes.
Plans for a cathedral, conceived at the inception of the diocese, were halted by the onset of civil war, and the diocese used an existing church as a cathedral. Unfortunately, it can sit no more than 800 people, but plans are underway to construct a cathedral (Regina Caeli) with a seating capacity of 4,000.
On behalf of the bishop and people of Soroti, I am grateful to the bishop, the Mission Office and people of the Diocese of Columbus for the opportunity to participate in the 2022 MCP.