UGANDA: Creating New Parishes; A Way to Strengthen Evangelization in Lira Diocese
Rev. Fr. Peter Panya being installed as the Parish Priest of St. Mary Immaculate Conception Loro Parish
Isaack Ojok
Lira Diocese is implementing the common vision of creating new parishes to promote grass root evangelization and to enhance spiritual welfare of the Christians.
The vision to create new parishes in Lira Diocese has been reached following the demands from Christians in need of spiritual guidance from the pastoral agents.
Also, the existence of parishes with wide territorial boundaries hampering Christians from receiving Sacraments regularly has been one of the factors necessitating the creation of new parishes so that Christians can access Sacraments.
Saint Mary Immaculate Conception Parish Loro was on Wednesday 8th September 2021 erected in a celebration presided over by the Bishop-emeritus of Lira Diocese Rt. Rev Joseph Franzelli, on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
While presiding over the erection of the new parish, Rt. Rev. Franzelli urged Christians to receive new parish with joy since it has been given to strengthen evangelization among the people of God.
He further appealed to Christians in the newly erected parishes to work in collaboration with their shepherds in a bid to promote their development.
The prelate also challenged the congregation to refrain from violence and other related criminal acts but rather to promote peaceful coexistence among them.
Meanwhile on the 9th September 2021, St Peter Clever Ober was also erected as a new parish in a celebration presided over by the Rt. Rev Sanctus Lino Wanok, the Bishop of Lira Diocese.
In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration, Bishop Sanctus revealed that erecting new parishes is going to restore hope in the lives of the people.
Entrusting the new parish under the patronage of St Peter Clever who was a just and charitable person to the poor, Bishop Sanctus implored the Christians to make sacrifices to help those in need following the example of their patron saint.
Commending the Christians of Ober for their commitment in preparing the place that made it possible to attain a parish status, he reminded all stakeholders to put their plans in to action in a move to pave way for the growth of the new parish.
Apart from founding St Peter Clever Ober within Lira City, three more parishes are set to be created at St Philip Erute, St Peter Anai and St Leo Boroboro to serve the fast-ever-growing Christian population in the industrial and commercial city of Lira.
Away from the city, preparations and arrangements among Christian communities are in high gear to ensure that more parishes are created to serve the needs of the Christians.
With hard working of the Christians themselves and guided by the spirit of self-reliance, the sub-parishes of Barr, Abongodyang and Aputi shall also be elevated into parishes in the near future.
St Peter Clever Ober is now the 24th parish in Lira Diocese just a day after St Mary Immaculate Conception Parish Loro in Oyam District was erected on 8th September 2021.
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