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Catholic Archbishop in Uganda Urges Women, Men Religious to be Visible Signs of Unity and Communion

Credit: Ugandan Catholics Online

The Archbishop of Uganda’s Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu has encouraged members of Religious Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) to become visible signs of togetherness, showing the world that communal life founded on faith offers deeper joy than individual success.

In his Tuesday, January homily for the 81st Religious Profession of the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu (LSMIG), Archbishop Raphael p’Mony Wokorach emphasized that true and lasting communion must be anchored in a shared spiritual foundation guided by the light of Christ.

“We need to subject our imaginations and energies to the spiritual power that should sustain the hope that is brought by Jesus Christ through his light today,” Archbishop Wokorach said during the event that was held at St. Joseph’s Cathedral of his Metropolitan See.

He added, “This light brings us to a deep sense of community, a community founded on Jesus Christ, and it is only around him that we can build a true community. 

“May Jesus' presence be the source of animation of our daily life and be a light to witness to the world that the joy of togetherness is better than the joy that the world offers in search of individual success,” the Ugandan-born member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ).

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Noting that Christian life entails “searching for meaning,” Archbishop Wokorach invited the 13 LSMIG members, who made their perpetual vows, and the others who marked 25, 50, and over 60 years of Consecrated life to “constantly look for new meaning” as they live their vocations.

“Every moment can be a moment to make a search and discern where the presence of the risen Christ is, the life of Christ is,” he said and added, “We are capable of making discernment worth moving us closer to who God is to us, to discover his presence in the different experiences we go through, pain, suffering, or joy.”

The Ugandan Catholic Church leader challenged the Sisters to preserve the heritage of their religious Congregation by remaining faithful to their vocation, which he described as “a gift for Christ” offered with a sincere and generous heart.

“Every gift has meaning because it is given with a heart, with a sincere heart, with a generous heart. Your life will be a blessing in front of God and in front of the church because you have given yourself completely with a very sincere heart,” he said.

He added, “This will uphold the true sense of heritage of the congregation founded a few years ago, as few as more than 80 years ago.”

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In his January 5 homily Archbishop Wokorach, who has been at the helm of the Gulu Metropolitan See since July 2024, reminded the Sisters that education remains central to their Congregation’s founding charism and mission and urged them to continue making their schools centers of evangelization, unity, and hope.

“Your vocation is to bring people to the light of Christ through Christian education, through education that will prepare the future of the society. This should anchor, and reflect in your life, in your institute day by day,” he said.

Quoting St. Daniel Comboni, Archbishop Wokorach underlined the need for educators who shape character as well as intellect, forming professionals who view their work as a service to God and humanity.

He emphasized the need to "recapture" the vision the saint had for education, lamenting that, “Today we live in a moment in which education has entered into a deep crisis.”

He said, “Education that we give should prepare the souls of our people to care for their souls and to care for the common good.That vision is what we need to recapture.”

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“You stand a better chance as a congregation to move us in that direction, to reestablish the energy that we need in order to renew the face of the earth through committed people of integrity,” Archbishop Wokorach said.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.