UGANDA: Bishop Odoki Expresses Gratitude to Holy See over Support to Refugees in Arua diocese
Rt. Rev Sabino Ochan Odoki
Fr Isaac Ojok
The bishop of Arua Diocese in North Western Uganda Rt. Rev Sabino Ochan Odoki has expressed gratitude to the Holy See for the support rendered to facilitate the well being of the refugees who have taken shelter in the area.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with AMECEA news correspondent on Thursday 11 January 2024, the Bishop said he is happy that the Holy See through the Dicastery for Human Integral Development has given support to the diocese towards the end of last year 2023 to ensure that their well being is catered for.
Even if he could not disclose the kind of support given, Bishop Odoki said, it is his joy that the Holy See has recognized Arua Diocese for the pastoral care being given to the refugees who are mainly from South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo -DRC.
Because of the pastoral need, Bishop Sabino mentioned that the diocese has created the Vicariate for Refugees and Migrants and that he has appointed Fr Felix Drani to oversee the pastoral agents working to extend pastoral services to the refugees.
So far, the bishop said the diocese has received pastoral agents from other congregations that are offering services in different sectors of education, health, and catechesis including counseling across the refugee hosting zones within the diocese.
With the arrival of some pastoral agents who are priests and Religious women from other countries, Bishop Odoki has made a new call to local and international Religious congregations to come to his diocese to help in discharging pastoral and spiritual care to refugees.
Earlier last year, Bishop Odoki revealed that Caritas Arua with support and collaboration from other partners like Caritas Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Caritas Italiano was giving seedlings and other relief services to refugees to support and improve their livelihoods amidst shortage of resources.
He then added that the diocese was later joined by the Jesuit Relief Services-JRS with the special program in training catechists and other pastoral agents to serve in the refugee settlement camps spread across the diocese.
Arua Diocese with its geographical location in North Western Uganda surrounded by South Sudan in the North, Democratic Republic of Congo in the West and it is being commended for the struggle in dispensing the spiritual and pastoral care to the refugees in their settlement camps.
The Congolese, South Sudanese and Refugees from other countries being accommodated in Uganda is in line with country’s Open Door Policy on refugees that provides secure rights such as freedom of movement, access to employment, education and medical services.
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