“Let prayer be your foundation”: South Sudanese Catholic Bishop to Seminarians at Opening of Academic Year

Tombura-Yambio, 26 January, 2026 / 7:59 PM

Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) has urged Seminarians at St. John Paul II Institute of Philosophy, Yambio, in his Episcopal See to make prayer their bedrock as the  Major Seminary opens for the 2026 academic year.

In his opening message delivered to Seminarians and academic staff, Bishop Hiiboro said that a Major Seminary is not “merely a place of instruction, but a house of integral formation, where the mind seeks truth, the heart is schooled in charity, and the will is trained for service.”

“Dear Seminarians, let prayer be your foundation, study your daily discipline, hard work your faithful companion, and community life your school of love,” the South Sudanese Catholic Bishop said in the message shared with ACI Africa on Monday, January 26.

Bishop Hiiboro, who serves as the President of the Integral Human Development Commission of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SSS-CBC), said that the comprehensive vision of formation goes beyond academic achievement as it seeks to form the whole person.

He urged the Seminarians to cultivate intellectual intelligence “to think clearly and love truth”, emotional intelligence “to understand yourself and relate well to others”, and moral intelligence to choose what is right with honesty and courage.

The South Sudanese Bishop further urged the Seminarians at the institution that is under the patronage of Pope St. John Paul II to “cultivate spiritual intelligence to listen deeply to God; social intelligence to build communion; cultural intelligence to respect people and context; and practical intelligence to serve wisely in real pastoral situations.”

“The future of the Church depends on the formation of her Priests,” the Local Ordinary of CDTY since his Episcopal Consecration in June 2008 said.

Bishop Hiiboro urged the institution’s academic staff to embrace their task that he said “is not only to teach philosophy and theology, but to accompany growth in wisdom and character” of their students to ensure full formation.

“Teach with competence, guide with patience, and witness with integrity—your lives are part of the curriculum,” the Local Ordinary of CDTY said.

He underlined the need for concerted effort in community transformation, saying, “Together, may community life be lived with sincerity: honesty that builds trust, obedience that forms freedom, and love for the diocese that gives meaning to sacrifice.”

“Let us not be afraid. As St. John Paul II urges us: ‘Open wide the doors to Christ.’ Open minds to truth, hearts to formation, and lives to generous service,” Bishop Hiiboro said at the Seminary that serves as the major seminary for CDTY, preparing future Priests for pastoral ministry in the region.

“May this academic year shape a community rooted in prayer, committed to excellence, and ready to serve God’s people with wisdom and love,” he said.