Arua Diocese Ordains two Priests

ARUA CATHOLIC DIOCESE ORDAINS TWO PRIESTS

On Saturday 28th May 2022 a huge congregation gathered at Sacred Heart Cathedral – Ediofe Parish to witness the Ordination of Rev. Dn. Charles Lwanga of Christ the King Parish and Rev. Dn. Joseph Butele of St. Clave Aripea Parish to priesthood. The glorious event was led by Rt. Rev. Sabino Ocan Odoki – Bishop of the Diocese of Arua.

In his homily, the Bishop thanked the parents of the two Deacons to be ordained priests for giving their sons to the Church to do the work of the God. It’s a very big generosity – this is the kind of Love that Christ is calling us to have to be able to share with one another. The parents are sacrificing their children, giving them for the work of the church and ultimately, of Christ He noted.

The Bishop also appeal to other parents to talk to their children because God talks through human being – God talks to the Children through Parents, so that God can call them to do his work. He noted that the demand for new parishes in Arua Diocese is very high because of the high Catholic Population of 2,300,000 which calls for more parishes to be established.

Bishop Odoki thanked the two candidates to priesthood for doing very well during their formation, He further advised them that formation never ends, they should continue in self-formation through their own efforts, organized efforts and through their encounter with other people they will learn to be good priests. He urged them to be in contact with other senior priests who can help them, have dialogue with and find out the secret behind their success.

He also advised them to imitate the identity of Christ to be his good shepherds, look at the world like Christ. He assured them of joy if they accept to represent Christ in his ministry of preaching, healing and caring for the marginalized, of shepherding by gathering people together and also practicing self-sacrifice. Odoki however, cautioned that to be like Christ you will need to imitate Christ in his suffering and be like Christ in His Glory. If you stop improving yourself in the ministry, you start to die and become a poor priest and unhappy priest.

Appointments – after the ordination to priesthood, the priests received their appointment letters and assorted gifts of ministry from the Bishop who appoints Fr. Charles Lwanga to work in Obongi Parish and Fr. Joseph Butele was appointed to work in Dufele parish. In the same event Rev. Fr. James Angualia was appointed the Chaplain for Arua Regional Referral Hospital and also to serve as the Chaplain for Arua School of Compressive Nursing.