UGANDA: Beatification of Giuseppe Ambrozoli Received with Great Joy
Fr. Isaac Ojok
The beatification of Blessed Dr. Giuseppe Ambrozoli at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Mission Kalongo in Uganda’s Gulu Archdiocese has been received with great joy and excitement among Catholics in Uganda.
Held on the 20th November 2022 on the Solemnity of Christ the King, the ceremony was presided over by Archbishop Luigi Bianco the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda and was flanked by Bishops, priests including the Religious and the laity from across the country and beyond.
Also in attendance was the Head of State His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the Republic of Uganda, Civil Servants, Cultural leaders and different head of institutions and Christians as a whole.
The joy expressed during the liturgy where the congregation found themselves actively participating in the singing, solemn procession by the liturgical dancers, also during the offertory procession among others.
The beatification of Fr. Ambrozoli has added up to three the number of Christians beatified from within Gulu Archdiocese, after Blessed Daudi Okello and Jildo Irwa the two Martyrs of Paimol were beatified in 2002 in Rome.
It is observed that the life, ministry of Blessed Ambrozoli will continue to be celebrated as the springboard that planted seed of Christian faith, a reality of God’s Grace in Christian life and the church.
In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration, the Papal Nuncio His Excellency Luigi Bianco mentioned that celebrating beatification of Giuseppe Ambrozoli on the Solemnity of Christ the King offers the opportunity and inspiration to focus on Jesus Christ as the Heavenly King of love, justice and peace.
The Papal Nuncio went on to note that, the authority of Jesus Christ as King of the Universe has been endowed upon Him by God noting that Christ as a King continues to forgive, love and save the lives of people.
The Nuncio continued that, Christ as a King has come to liberate us from the darkness to life of hope saying Christians are invited to accept Jesus as the giver of life, Savior because He has come to unite the people in hope, love, humility, charity and kindness, the virtues that guided the ministry of Blessed Giuseppe Ambrozoli as a Priest and medical doctor.
He urged the congregation to continue reflecting upon the divine inspiration Blessed Giuseppe Ambrozoli received from God to enable them shape their lives.
Prior to his beatification, Blessed Giuseppe Ambrozoli has further been revered and passionately spoken widely as one who will be remembered for his professionalism, kindness, infinite patience, extraordinary availability to people and his spiritual transparency that attracted crowds of patients to him.
Following the beatification, 28th July has been declared for the annual commemoration of the life of Blessed Giuseppe Ambrozoli.
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