Archbishop Emeritus Odongo to be laid to rest next week

TRIBUTE |

The Archbishop Emeritus of Tororo, the Most. Rev. James Odongo will be laid to rest on Wednesday next week.

A statement from the chairperson of the Uganda Episcopal Conference Rt. Rev. Joseph Anthony Zziwa and the Archbishop of Tororo the Most Rev. Emmanuel Obbo says. "On Wednesday, December 9, 2020, the Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Uganda Martyrs Cathedral Tororo at 12pm followed by internment."

The Archbishop passed on this Friday morning, December 4. 2020; at Nsambya Hospital.

Tomorrow on Sunday, the statement shows that the deceased Archbishop will have a requiem mass at Lubaga Cathedral Kampala at 3.30 pm, this will be followed by the body being delivered at St. Austin in Mbale, at 3 pm.

"On Tuesday, December 8, 2020, another requiem mass will be celebrated at St. Austin Church Mbale at 12pm. Still, on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, the body of the late Archbishop Odongo will be taken to the Uganda Martyrs Cathedral Tororo at 4 pm."

 His rise in Church rank

He had served in the past as Auxiliary Bishop of Tororo, Uganda from November 25. 1964 till August 19, 1968, and as Archbishop of Tororo Archdiocese from January 2, 1999, till June 27, 2007.

Odongo was appointed by Pope Paul VI as the ordinated titular bishop of Bahanna on November 25, 1964, and auxiliary bishop of Tororo.

He was consecrated as bishop on February 16, 1965, by Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa, Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Bukoba, assisted by Bishop John Francis Greif, MHM†, Bishop of Tororo and Vincent Joseph McCauley, CSC†, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Portal.

On August 19, 1968, he was appointed as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tororo. On January 5, 1985, Pope John Paul II appointed him to concurrently serve as the bishop of the Military Ordinate of Uganda. As of July 2019, he was the incumbent diocesan Ordinary of that diocese.

On January 2, 1999, Odongo became the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tororo. He retired from that position on June 27, 2007, thus becoming Archbishop Emeritus of Tororo, Uganda.

 As of January 2017, following the death of Right Reverend Colin Cameron Davis, Bishop Emeritus of Ngong Diocese, in Kenya, Archbishop Odongo became the "Only Living Representative from AMECEA Region at the Vatican II Council", between 1962 and 1965