A team from Holy Cross Meeting Arch Bishop John Baptist Odama at his residence
In June 2023, I joined the team that was dispatched for Gulu to deliver a message about the provinces’ interest in starting a ministry in Gulu Archdiocese to Arch Bishop John Baptist Odama. We were well received by Monsignor Lawrence Komakech the Episcopal Vicar Gulu Vicariate and Cathedral Administrator who led us to the humble loving Bishop Odama.
The new ministry in Koch Goma: is a witness to a mission that will be part of the Story of recovery in the Arch Diocese of Gulu, Northern Uganda. Through the parish ministry and education in faith charism that we witness as Holy Cross. In his sharing, It was also vivid that education has played a pivotal role in bringing hope and healing to a community that was devastated by the war conflict. This is to the Christian Education manuscript by Blessed Basil Moreau the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross who believed that education is a tool of transformation.
This article explores the inspirational, humbling ministry of Holy Cross religious who recently moved to Northern Uganda to start a new parish in the Arch Diocese of Gulu and her people recovering from war. It also sheds light on the significance of hope and zeal in helping to rebuild and mend people’s hearts.
It’s Hope and love needed here most. We do not have a Church building and rectory yet but are well housed by Sacred Heart Minor Seminary Lacor and have an average church that can’t accommodate our number. Thank God for the gift of nature we have a big tree to pray from, and a very solid faith community says Father Berry Apire, CSC.
Sunday Mass under a tree as the number of Christians outweighs the size of the existing church.
In one of our masses, a snake fell from a tree because of fear it took off and all was back to normal. The people are spiritually rich, and God needed us to be here!” says Fr. Berry, CSC., In ministry, as it was during the time of our founder, Fr. Basil Moreau, we find practicing patience, gentleness, faith in the transforming power of grace, and forgiveness in making new beginnings possible. This is the gift our brothers carry to the ministry.
For over two decades, the Gulu Diocese witnessed the difficult conflict between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels and the government forces. The war left behind a trail of destruction, displacing thousands of people, causing immense suffering, and traumatizing an entire generation. Amidst this chaos, the local church emerged as a beacon of hope, providing solace and support to those affected through Archbishop John Baptist Odama, a model of Peace in the region.
Parish ministry is a need for the diocese. When we took a tour of the proposed parishes that evening, we were blessed to meet the humble Archbishop Odama. In his words, he told us that we were welcome and should know that we already belong to the family as children of the same father. These we inspiring words! To hear in a new environment. What I learned throughout the visit is the church has played a crucial role in the recovery process, addressing both the physical and spiritual needs of the community. These ministries have been instrumental in:
Recognizing the deep emotional scars inflicted by the war, parish ministries, in collaboration with international organizations, have implemented trauma healing programs. Trained counselors work alongside priests, providing support and therapy to survivors, helping them process their pain, and facilitating a journey toward healing and reconciliation. I was happy to learn that this is the journey our brothers joining. When he told us it Koch Goma that is being proposing to us we took an evening site seeing, we met the beautiful, warm-hearted people and viewed the nice sunsets. Right now our brothers are saying the diocese is embracing us well and we are truly giving hope and walking side by side with those in need. You can’t miss the innocent, happy faces of children and their parents who know that true healing and reconciliation are found in God alone. I love singing. I appreciated their devotion to praising God with local instruments and it was truly therapeutic.
Parish schools have been reestablished, providing quality education to children and young adults who missed out on opportunities due to the war. In addition to academic teachings, vocational training programs have been introduced to equip individuals with practical skills, empowering them to rebuild their lives and contribute to the community’s growth. Holy Cross sisters arrived in the diocese a few years ago and have already started offering counseling and vocational skills.
The environment was so much plundered as people opted to cut trees and bushes for security since they were hiding places for rebels. Climate Care and Laudato Si Initiatives are key for the church in Gulu. Our Holy Cross educators in faith have already started diving into the mission of raising awareness and engaging parishioners in re-afforestation.
The church clinics and medical outreach initiatives have proven vital in delivering healthcare to remote and underserved areas. Parishioners, including doctors and nurses, volunteered their services and were encouraged to offer services to the most vulnerable members of society to access essential medical care. Health care is a need for our parishioners as health facilities are located apart and not all people can reach the health services in towns. When we drove through the homesteads to get a sense of the parish people were sparsely populated.
Small Christian Community Mass
Parish priests and pastoral teams work diligently to provide spiritual guidance and support to their congregations. Regular Masses, small Christian Masses, and religious education classes help individuals find solace, deepen their faith, and foster a sense of community amidst their struggles, as I learned from my interaction with Monsignor Lawrence Komakech and now our brothers there.
While tremendous efforts are in place through the diocese of Gulu, the challenges persist in the recovery process. Rebuilding infrastructure, addressing economic disparities, and reintegrating former child soldiers into society continue to be ongoing efforts. However, the resilience of the Gulu Diocese community, combined with unwavering support from parish ministries and international partners, offers hope for a brighter future. As the Congregation of Holy Cross joins other religious orders like the Comboni Missionaries, Jesuits, etc.. who are already serving in the diocese, we hope to see our charism of educators in faith add a leaf in the transformation journey of the diocese knowing that we were founded to respond to the effects of the French revolution of 1789 and in Uganda we are also reading signs to the time to respond to the effects of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) that began in 1996.
Fr. Berry sharing a light moment with Christians after Mass
This article tells a story of a journey of hope I made last summer and has remained an inspiration to me about resilience, faith, and the transformative power of ministry. Through unwavering commitment, priests, religious volunteers, and parishioners help the community navigate the difficult path from war to recovery. As Gulu Diocese continues to heal and rebuild, the impact of parish ministries remains invaluable in restoring hope and nurturing the faith of a community determined to move forward. Monsignor Mathew Odong the Vicar General and Rector of Sacred Minor Seminary Lacor welcomed us well in the seminary and assured us a home for our brothers when they started ministry.
Yes, the ministry has started and now we are excited that our new Parish will be inaugurated on 28th Jan 2024. The war left scars says Fr. Berry when I asked him of one of his most touching moments he narrated one of his most touching moments in the home visit was when he asked the women why most men were not coming to pray as they were convening for mass with some tone of criticism.
A delegation at the minor Seminary
They responded Father, “We are mostly widows here, the men died in the war.” he says he felt very guilty and held back tears because of something that sounded like insensitivity and inability to have a proper ear on the ground. That reply tore me to pieces he said. Healing through loving the people and not judging them by my past experiences of the apostolate, where men are not active in church, of what I used to judge. I didn’t consult and find out. These are some of the learning moments as a pastor. I wiped my tears and vowed to embrace people while being extremely sensitive. The mission in Gulu is a mission that puts us face to face with God disguised in the people riddled with scars of the war, as seen in the many widows, orphans, and youths born in internally displaced peoples’ camps who missed out on education. Many can’t read and write. The scars of the war are seen in the drinking levels in trading centers as move around the villages to visit homes and yet a lot of faith gives them hope to do ministry with a lot of love. Both elderly mothers, widows, and men are embroiled in uncontrollable drinking of local gin since they have lost hope. Domestic violence cases as we visit home since people think violence is the way to commit one’s anger, etc.
Baptisms a witness to the strong faith of parishioners
A lot of prayers and ministry of presence is needed for our people in this post-war recovery process. We need to join hands as a church to sow the seed of love as educators in Faith, I believe the presence of the Holy Cross in this new mission re-defines our founder Basil Moreau’s desire for us to be men of hope to bring and open to taking up missions the story in Gulu for me relates so much to our foundational story of the French Revolution of 1789 that triggered our founder to Consider starting an apostolic community that will move out to stand side by side with those in need giving hope and educators in faith trusting in divine providence and the cross as our only Hope. May St. Brother Andre a symbol of humility and healer bless and protect the people of Koch Goma in the Archdiocese of Gulu.
Ave Crux Spes Unica!
Br. Adolf Mugume, C.S.C
Last modified: January 27, 2024
