NEWLY INSTALLED ARCHBISHOP OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GULU CALLS FOR COLLABORATION

Archbishop Raphael P’mony Wokorach walking out after installation ceremony from
St.Josephs cathedral parish church Gulu. Photo by Proscovia Achomo
 
By Proscovia Achomo

Gulu City
  
In his initial sermon to thousands of Christians who turned up for the installation ceremony at St Joseph’s Cathedral Parish Gulu, Archbishop Raphael P’mony Wokorach pledged to work with Christians to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the advancement of fundamental human development, justice, peace and reconciliation.

“Dear people of Gulu Archdiocese, let us remember that we are in one boat, moving in the same direction guided by Jesus Christ, where we create the environment of a home, let us move as people who believe in this calling,” he remarked.

He also acknowledged his predecessor, Archbishop Emeritus Dr. John Baptist Odama for the tremendous work he did while he was the chief shepherd of Gulu Archdiocese.

“You have been retired by age, but you can still do much in the Ministry. You are here and we shall minister together to the people whom you have served for all these years. We pray for the archdiocese and the sustenance of God to keep you in the Ministry,” he noted. He asked the Christians to continue praying for him as he assumed the new office charged with the responsibility of leading the faithful in the Archdiocese of Gulu.

Archbishop Raphael P’mony Wokorach replaced John Baptist Odama, the Archbishop Emeritus of Gulu who retired on March 22 after clocking 75 years having served at Gulu Archdiocese for the past 25 years.

The 63-year-old prelate was installed after the imposition of a pallium in a flamboyant ceremony presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda His excellency Archbishop Luigi Bianco.

Archbishop Emeritus Odama expressed to the congregation in his remarks that his service in the Acholi Sub-region for the past 25 years has been a significant milestone to which he attributed the success he gained to God. He asked Christians in the Archdiocese of Gulu to pray for the newly installed Archbishop to have good health and a successful Ministry that will promote evangelization, peace, unity, love, reconciliation, and the promotion of interreligious groups.

Archbishop Emeritus Odama also asked the new archbishop to work towards the reduction of violence within families and communities in Acholi sub region.
Odama thanked his holiness Pope Francis for allowing himself to be guided by the holy spirit to choose Archbishop Raphael. He asked for forgiveness from those whom he might have wronged in the past 25 years of his service arguing that he too has forgiven those who might have wronged him.

Alfred Okwonga, Mayor Gulu City is confident that, the new archbishop will lead with wisdom, compassion and integrity and that his leadership will inspire the leadership of Gulu city to work together for the common good.

He asked the people of Gulu city to support him in his mission to nurture the spiritual well-being of the city and foster the sense of unity and harmony among the community. “The position of an archbishop is of immense responsibility, and but also one of the greatest opportunities to uplift the community, the role of an archbishop goes beyond the wall of the church, it extends to the heart of our Gulu city, touching the lives of people, from all walks of life,” he said.

Apostolic Nucio Luigi Bianco, Vice president Jessica Alupo, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo,
Archbishop Emeritus Dr. John Baptist Odama and other dignitaries pose for photo with
the new archbishop in front of St. Joseph’s cathedral parish church Gulu.

Meanwhile, vice chancellor Gulu University, Prof George Openjuru Ladaah expects the new archbishop to restore the past glories of some of the catholic schools that were founded by the Comboni like St. Joseph`s college Layibi, Scared Heart Secondary school among others. “Since he is coming from the background of Comboni missionaries, I expect him to rejuvenate some of the Comboni missionaries founded schools which used to be very powerful in the subregion,” he remarked.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo Chigamoi, however challenged the newly installed Archbishop to fit in the shoes worn by his predecessor arguing that Archbishop Emeritus Odama left a legacy in his 25 years of leadership. “Your grace, you finally took on the shoes left behind by Dr. John Baptist Odama, he put on size 15. So, the challenge is for you, your grace to match the high standard set by the first Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese,” he said.

Justice Owiny-Dollo also noted that the new Archbishop assumed office at a time when the region is facing a burden of socio-economic insecurity and asked him to join the fight to restore the lost glory of the sub-region. “there will be no honeymoon for you, because you have come at a time when we have embarked on a revival movement that seeks to put our people where they truly belong, I want to thank, Archbishop Emeritus Odama for his commitment in ensuring that peace returned in Northern Uganda, he is our peace icon, a person that majority of the leaders relied on for his spiritual and moral leadership,” he echoed.

The installation ceremony was graced by Vice President Jessica Alupo who represented President Yoweri Museveni as Chief Guest.

In his message delivered by vice president Jessica Alupo, President Yoweri congratulated the new Archbishop upon taking the new leadership at Gulu Archdiocese and thanked the catholic church for maintaining a cordial relationship with the NRM government in working towards the social-economic transformation of the Ugandan society.

Citing from the book of Samuel 16:7, the President likened the appointment of Archbishop Wokorach to how God chooses leaders not just from their outward appearance but from invisible characters.“Leadership is a crucial pillar to the success of any institution including the church. I call upon all believers to pray for the new archbishop as he commences his new role,” said President Museveni.

The President praised Archbishop Emeritus Odama for his tireless efforts in fighting for peace and poverty eradication arguing he set an excellent example for all spiritual leaders, adding that besides guiding believers to work for heaven, he also encouraged them to work towards achieving decent standards of living here on earth.

“On behalf of the NRM government, I commend Odama for using his position to promote unity and development among his people, He has worked with the NRM government to bring peace in Northern Uganda and fight poverty and efforts to create wealth through commercialization of the growing of cassava,” said the President Museveni.

President donated 20 million shillings towards the installation ceremony and gave the new archbishop a brand-new car, a Toyota G-X-R Land Cruiser 2023 model.
 
New Toyota G-X-R land cruiser gifted to the new archbishop.

After his installation, the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Luigi Bianco also announced Archbishop Raphael had been appointed by His Holiness Pope Francis as an apostolic administrator of the Nebbi diocese until the appointment of a new Bishop.

A brief about Archbishop Raphael P’mony Wokorach

Archbishop Wokorach was born on January 21, 1961, in Arua and attended his Primary education at Ragem Primary School. He later joined St. Peter Paul Pokea Minor Seminary in Arua between 1975 to 1979. From 1980-1992, Archbishop Wokorach went to St. Joseph Ombaci for his advanced-level education.

Between 1983 and 1987, Wokorach joined Uganda Marty’s National Major Seminary in Gulu where he studied Philosophy and obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy. From 1989-1993, Archbishop Wokorach enrolled at Tangaza College in Nairobi Kenya, and studied Theology.

On September 25, 1993, he was ordained a priest at Wadelai Parish under Nebbi Diocese by the then Gulu Archbishop Emeritus Martin Luluga and later went on to obtain a master’s degree in philosophy at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi Kenya in 1994.

Archbishop Wokorach has also held various Ministries and offices. He was a member of the Uganda Province, a community of Comboni missionaries, priests, and brothers in Uganda between 1993 and 1994.

He was also a curate in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1994 and 2001, lectured ethics, and ancient Philosophy in Togo, between 2001 and 2003, and at Tangaza College between 2007 and 2015.

Before his appointment on March 22 this year by Pope Francis, Archbishop Raphael served as the Nebbi Diocese Bishop since March 2021.