Catholic Church in Acholi celebrates 115 years with six new ordinations

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The Archdiocese of Gulu has ordained six new priests and one deacon, bringing the total number of priests in the Archdiocese to 92 since the Catholic faith was introduced in the Acholi sub-region by the Comboni Missionaries in 1911.

The solemn Eucharistic celebration on May 9, 2026, held under the theme “Rooted in the Eucharist, United with Saint Joseph,” took place on Friday at St Joseph’s Cathedral in ForGod, Negri Ward, Bardege-Layibi Division in Gulu city.

The newly ordained priests are Fr Erick Acellam of Lacor Parish, Fr Augustine Oloya of Namokora Parish, Fr Felix Allan Torach of Holy Rosary Parish, Fr Polycarp Okema of Pajule Parish, Fr Robert Odong of Paicho Parish and Fr Geoffrey Rackara of Gulu Cathedral Parish.

The newly ordained priests, together with their parish priests in a procession after being ordained at St Joseph's Cathedral, Gulu City. (Photo by Johnisani Ocakacon)

Deacon Daniel Comboni Torach of Lacor Parish was also ordained to the diaconate.

Their ordination brings the total number of priests in the Archdiocese of Gulu to 92, more than 115 years after the Catholic faith was first brought to Acholi by the Comboni Missionaries.

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Gulu, Raphael Wokorach P’Mony, thanked the parishes that nurtured the vocations of the newly ordained clergy, noting that the Church had played a significant role in preparing them for service at the holy altar.

“We need to continue praying for vocations in our Archdiocese to increase. I urge parents to take the vocation of their children seriously so that we may have more priests able to minister to all Christians. Priesthood begins within the family,” Archbishop Wokorach said.

The Archbishop noted that families that pray together and faithfully practise the Christian faith create fertile ground for vocations and the growth of the priesthood.

“Parents must care about the faith formation of their children and guide them in their vocations. It is your responsibility as Christians to ensure that they follow the right path. Through this, we shall have more servants of God, and the Catholic faith will continue to grow in the Archdiocese of Gulu,” he added.

Enya Opobo, 90, a Christian from Lacor Parish, said vocations in the Archdiocese were declining because many parents were failing to guide their children towards holy living.

He said the situation was negatively affecting the Church, resulting in fewer young boys and girls joining priesthood, brotherhood and sisterhood.

“Many of our children no longer attend prayers and have instead turned to substance abuse and criminal behaviour, including attacking people at night. This poor moral upbringing in society is affecting vocations among children who would otherwise become servants of God,” he said.

Susan Kevin Aryemo, the diocesan youth leader, said many young people had abandoned prayer and embraced behaviours that were destroying their lives and distancing them from God.

She cited habits such as smoking marijuana and excessive alcohol consumption, saying they had ruined the lives of many youths, leading some into early marriages and teenage pregnancies, with many later struggling to sustain family life.

Newly ordained deacon Daniel Comboni Torach (R) escorted by his parish priest to the holy alter during the mass in Gulu City. (Photo by Johnisani Ocakacon)

Joseph Nyero Lapat, a member of the Catholic Men’s Association at St Joseph’s Cathedral Parish, said that despite more than 115 years since the Catholic faith reached Acholi, the number of priests in the Archdiocese had still not reached 100.

“This shows that many parents are not embracing the vocation of their children to become ordained servants of God,” Nyero said.

He added that although the Archdiocese has many Christians, some believers were not fully playing their role in supporting the Church, noting that several parishes still lack enough priests to administer sacraments effectively.

“Some boys and girls who join priesthood and sisterhood later drop out because of a lack of guidance from parents or guardians. There is a need for everyone to join hands in ensuring that the number of priests increases in the Archdiocese of Gulu,” he noted.

The Woman Member of Parliament for Gulu city, Betty Aol Ocan, expressed concern over the declining number of girls and boys joining seminaries and convents in the Acholi sub-region.

She urged parents not to focus only on marriage for their children, but also to support the growth of the Church by encouraging vocations to priesthood and consecrated life.

“As a mother and committed Christian, I appeal to fellow parents to allow our children to embrace vocational life so that we may have more consecrated men and women to continue the work of Christ,” she said.

Aol further observed that society was suffering from what she termed “tropical corruption” across government institutions, the civil service, households and communities, adding that an increase in consecrated life could help restore moral values in society.