The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | This year’s Northern Uganda provincial prayer and peace week has been postponed.
This annual event unites the Catholic Dioceses of Arua, Gulu, Lira, and Nebbi under the Gulu Ecclesiastical province in prayers for peace and reconciliation for the entire region, which was ravaged by decades of political wars. Gulu Archdiocese was expected to host this year’s edition scheduled for this month.
However, His Grace John Baptist Odama, the Archbishop of Gulu told URN in an interview that they had postponed prayers due to physical exhaustion resulting from organizing the beatification program. Gulu Archdiocese hosted the beatification of Fr Dr. Giuseppe Ambrosoli in November last year at the Catholic Parish of Kalongo, where the doctor lived and worked.
The postponement of the prayers has generated mixed reactions from the public. A Christian from Lira Diocese who preferred anonymity believes that the Archdiocese of Gulu lacks the finances to host the week-long event.
“I think it is a financial constraint that is stopping them from hosting it because they spent a lot of resources on that Kalong thing and now as you know, keeping visitors for a whole week is expensive!” he exclaimed.
However, Archbishop Odama downplayed his reasoning, saying that the event is always sponsored by the Christians and canceling it has nothing to do with finances as it is being speculated. He believes that prayer peace week has played a big role in promoting peace in Northern Uganda and the country as a whole, and that funding can never be a challenge.
Mary Aliro, a Christian of Alanyi Catholic Parish in Lira Diocese is disappointed by the postponement of the prayer week, saying that so many families had started embracing peace, following the preaching they receive during the event. She believes that canceling it would take them back to violence.
“Many community members in Northern Uganda had started to embrace reconciliation and forgiveness among themselves because of the peace week, but now do you see what happened in the last two years when the prayer peace week was not held? People are now killing one another like animals and I think this would not be happening if the prayer was being held,” she said.
Adding that, “I only hope by the time we end this year, we already have plans on how to return next year with a new program for the prayer peace week.” Nebbi diocese hosted the 15th edition of the prayer week in 2020 before COVID-19 interrupted the entire event for two consecutive years.
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