Owiny-Dollo immortalises parents with mega church

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AGAGO

A celebratory atmosphere laced with ululations engulfed little known Agago district's Kal Aloi village in Lukwangole parish, Patongo sub-county on Sunday (May 11, 2025) as a new mega church opened its doors to the Catholic faithful of the area.

The facility, which seats over 200 people, was built by Chief Justice (CJ) Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo in memory of his parents: Kasmiro Ongom Ityangaluk Lobeyong and Mego Paulina Ongom Atapangiro, who died in 1996 and 2012, respectively.

The construction of the Church started last year with CJ personally participating in moulding bricks for its foundation stone. Kal Aloi is Justice Dollo’s ancestral home and where he was born in 1956.

To commission the church, Gulu Catholic Archbishop Raphael Wokorach P’Mony led a homily attended by judicial officers, officials of the justice ministry, cultural leaders and village residents at the Church. Others present were Gulu Archbishop emeritus Dr John Baptist Odama, Episcopal vicar of Kitgum vicariate Fr Christopher Komakech and Patongo Catholic parish priest Fr Alfred Okumu.

Chief Justice, Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo (centre) in a group photo with clergy, government officials, members of parliament and other guests after commissioning of Saint Matthew’s Catholic Chapel built by Dollo in memory of his late parents at Kal Aloi village in Lukwangole Parish, Patongo sub-county, Agago District. It was unveiled on Sunday. (Photo by Johnisani Ocakacon)

Wokorach hailed Owiny-Dollo and family for the spiritual gesture, saying, “The Church is a spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit which should unite the faithful”. The Church named St Matthew’s Catholic Chapel was then handed over to the Archdiocese. Previously, the faithful prayed from a classroom or under big trees.

“May God bless the work of your hands, family and keep you safe in your way as we receive this gift from you,” the archbishop told Owiny-Dollo.

Dollo said his mother was a staunch Christian: “The Church represents the fulfilment of the promise I made to honour their hard work and memories and for raising us in strong Christian values despite several hardships”.

“I built a church for my mother because she was a very hard-working mother and she was a very staunch lay faithful in the Church, and yet she comes from a Protestant [Anglican] family, but she accepted to be baptised in the Catholic Church”, he said.

Dollo added that he would have loved to have built the church while the mother was still alive, but that God had other ideas.

“This church will be useless if the people praying from here continue stealing cassava and sim sim from other people's gardens. This Church is built to transform your life: To become a good person who loves another and God,” he said.

Chief Justice, Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo (waving) to the congregation during commissioning of Saint Matthew’s Catholic Chapel built by Dollo in memory of his late parents at Kal Aloi village in Lukwangole Parish, Patongo sub-county, Agago District. It was unveiled on Sunday. (Photo by Johnisani Ocakacon)

Dignitaries attend ceremony

Also present at the event was Deputy CJ Dr Flavian Zeija, acting Principal Judge Jane Okuo Kajuga, who led a delegation of judges, Judiciary permanent Secretary Dr Pius Bigirimana and acting chief registrar Pamella Ocaya Lamunu.

Church leaders speak

Komakech said the new church manifests the resurrection of faith in Patongo parish, particularly in Aloi village. He thanked Dollo and asked Christians to embrace the church and continue supporting its project to remain alive.

Samuel Ojok Kitang, a member of the parish pastoral council of Patongo Parish, also district speaker, said, “We need this kind of support to continue because believers in other chapels are still praying under the trees".

Dodo Alfonse Odoch, a member of a parish pastoral council, described the church as a new sign of faith CJ's family has shown the Gulu Archdiocese.

“The church belongs to the lay faithful and, therefore, I ask people to continue supporting the church so that it carries on with evangelisation,” he said.

Peter Cox Owili, a retired headteacher, described the church as a good initiative that the family has done for the Church, and it’s a blessing to Gulu Archdiocese and the community of Kal Aloi.