“I will continue to pray, hold you in my heart”: Catholic Bishop in South Sudan to IDPs

Wau, 03 April, 2023 / 11:20 AM

The Catholic Bishop of South Sudan’s Wau Diocese has assured Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in camps in Western Bahr el Gazal State covered by his Episcopal See of his spiritual solidarity and that he holds them in his heart.

In his Tuesday, March 7 homily at Immaculate Heart of Mary Mayen Abun Parish of Wau Diocese, the Catholic Diocese of Wau, Bishop Mathew Remijio Adam urged the IDPs to hope in God amid challenges they experience in the camps. 

“I will continue to pray and hold you in my heart,” Bishop Remijio told the IDPs, and added, “Your hope in God and for a better life should not die because God is with you despite the difficult situation.”

The South Sudanese member of the Comboni Missionaries (MCCJ) who was on a pastoral visit to Twic County of Warrap State called for prayers for IDPs, particularly imploring God “for the situation of our brothers and sisters in the camps that one day they will be integrated in the communities and live peacefully as God wishes them to.”

“One thing that I am sure about as a spiritual leader is that there should be hope that one day these people will live peacefully and choose to stay in any place that they wish,” the 50-year-old Catholic Bishop said during the Holy Mass on March 7. 

He went on to speak about his visit, saying, “My pastoral visit was to bless and pray with Christians in that part of the Diocese and to see how the faithful are living with each other.”

“It was also important for me to come and visit this place to know the situations of Priests working with you here,” Bishop Remijio told the IDPs, and added, “The visit also meant to strengthen the bond between the civil authority and the Church because we are all working to serve the people of God.”

The South Sudanese Catholic Bishop further said in reference to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Mayen Abun Parish of his Episcopal See, “This visit has given me an opportunity to plan again with the Parish to extend my pastoral visit for those who are not with us today.”