Mary's Day and Palm Sunday celebration held at Christ Church Gulu

This year 2018, the annual Mary's day was celebrated at Christ Church in the heart of Gulu town. Many women from all over the diocese participated in the celebration. The main preacher was the  Provincial Mother's Union President Dr. Ruth Senyonyi. She appealed to the Mothers Union members to be role model for the women.Bishop Johnson Gakumba appreciated the MU president for her coming to Gulu and that because of her status, this time round the provincial calendar may carry some pictures from our Diocese.

Visiting Alumni of Women Development Centre

Visited alumni of Women Development Centre in Lakwana, Awo Bobi and concluded with Koro, really inspiring meeting some of them in their work places. When you empower a woman you can be sure of positive impact in the lives of many. Pray that we get many more young women and girls to study at the Women Development Centre 2018. We have courses in Tailoring and Garment Cutting, Hairdressing and Knitting (Sweater). The fees are affordable and we admit even those who have not made it to Primary Seven. Classes starts on 6th February. For those who completed in 2017 graduation is scheduled for April 14. We thank God that with support from our Friends in Denmark especially Elsebeth and her team we will be able to provide them with start up kits like

new sewing machines and hairdressing kits

Church of Uganda gave relief items worth over 100 million to refugees

Over 600 households received relief items from the Church of Uganda, Diocese of Northern Uganda on Monday 4^th September 2017.  The items included saucepans, Jerrycans, Sandals, blankets, plates, cups, assorted clothes as well as mosquito nets. While delivering the items to the Refugees in Pagirinya Camps, the Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda Johnson Gakumba said they have been able to acquire those items from friends and well wishes of the Diocese of Northern Uganda. He prayed for Peace to return to Sudan so that these people are able to go back to their country of origin and engage in productive life. The Bishop who led a team of his staff actively participated in the distribution.

Pagirinya camp is one of the many refugee camps in Uganda and located in Adjumani District boarding Amuru. It is about 80 kilometers North West of Gulu town. 

The need in Pagirinya camp is huge and concerted effort of the different stakeholders is urgently required.

During the distribution, we met a young single parent woman called Sunday Coma with three children. Sunday says she last saw her husband in May 2016 since then she has no idea of the whereabout of her husband. She is struggling with erecting shelters for her children. Sunday says digging a latrine is impossible for her and that she helps her children to dig small holes for their faeces. Sunday says her children used to drink milk, eat eggs, and meat while in Southern Sudan, but since she came to Pagirinya, she has so far failed to feed her children as she used to do. Bishop Johnson gave her some money to buy a hen to rear for her children.

We also met a number of young people who are struggling to study and they lack fees to stay in school. We were also told that the schools in the camps are charging 5,000 shillings for pupils as fees per term, and those who are not able to raise the money are not allowed to study. One girl called Kevin now in Primary Six told us that they sometimes sell the relief items inorder to get money to pay for their fees.

Most of the elderly are equally suffering with no one to take care of their welfare. Some of them rely on left over of food grains that fall from the sacks during distribution.

Early this year a team from the Diocese of Northern Uganda visited Adjumani and Pagirinya camp where it carried out a rapid needs assessment. After the visit, the Bishop wrote to the office of the Prime Minister (OPM) requesting to partner with OPM, department of refugees to offer Humanitarian assistance to refuges in Adjumani, Gulu and Lamwo Districts in Northern Uganda. The OPM responded positively in a letter dated April 12, 2017 and since that time the Diocese of Northern Uganda has been on the ground providing as well as mobilizing requisite resources for humanitarian interventions. We also provided some items to the floods victims at Elegu boarder and Apar land conflict victims just a few weeks ago.

We therefore appeal to well-wishers to support the Diocese in ministering to the refugees. Remember this is part of our assignment given by Jesus Christ himself Mathew 25:36 ff “Naked and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me, I was in prison….”

Retired Bishop Onono celebrated 50 years of marriage

Bishop Nelson Onono-Onweng and Mama Brenda celebrated their 50 years of marriage. The ceremony took place at their residence in Layibi Division Gulu Municipality, and was officiated by the Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, Gakumba Johnson and the preacher was Bishop Alfred Acur of West Lango Diocese. Bishop Alfred thanked God for taking good care of bother Nelson and Brenda. He urged other couples to learn from the experiences of Nelson and Brenda. Bishop Johnson thanked the couple for living exemplary life as husband and wife. Brenda said the key to peaceful and stable family is trust in God, and humility.

12 Men and 1 woman ordained

12 men and 1 woman were ordained priests by Bishop Johnson Gakumba on Sunday 25th June 2017 at St. Philips Cathedral. The Bishop of Busoga Diocese, The Rt. Rev. Paul Moses Naimanhye was the Guest preacher, he appealed to the newly ordained priests to remain faithful in the ministry. Hon. Betty Aol Ocan thanked the church of Uganda for opening up the ordained ministry for women and challenged the women to take up this opportunity to serve God whole heartedly.