Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama reads a message from Pope Francis on appointment of new metropolitan Archbishop of Gulu on Friday. Photos By Brian Komakech
By Brian Komakech and Robert Mone
Gulu: Pope Francis has appointed the Rt. Rev. Raphael p’Mony Wokorach, the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese.
The appointment follows the retirement of Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama after clocking the mandatory 75 years in line with the Code of Canon Law.
Luigi Bianco, the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda announced the appointment of Archbishop Wokorach on Friday. Until his appointment, Archbishop Wokorach was the Nebbi Catholic Bishop since his ordination in March 2021.
Archbishop Wokorach, 63 now replaces Archbishop Emeritus Odama who has served for 25 years since his ordination as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Gulu in 1999.
Disclosing the announcement to hundreds of Christians at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Gulu City on Friday, Archbishop Emeritus Odama thanked priests, sisters, and laity at the archdiocese for supporting his apostolate for over two decades.
Archbishop Emeritus Odama also asked members of the archdiocese to offer the same support they accorded to incoming Archbishop Wokorach.
“…I want to thank all of you, dear fellow brother priests, sisters, brothers, and all laity of this archdiocese for having given me the very greatest support in my apostolate as the archbishop. May God continue to keep you with that spirit and work also with the new archbishop who will be installed and takes official position…,” Odama said.
The Pope has since appointed Archbishop Odama as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Gulu until the installation of Wokorach.
Archbishop Emeritus Odama, now celebrating 50 years in the priesthood, was the first Bishop of Nebbi Diocese from 1996-199.
Odama a peace lover
Throughout his apostolate in the Gulu Archdiocese, Archbishop Odama has been revered as a peace icon having participated in peace talks between the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel commander, Joseph Kony, and the Ugandan government between 2006 and 2008.
He has also contributed tremendously to dialogues between warring factions in war-torn South Sudan and land conflicts in the Acholi Sub-region.
In 2012, Archbishop Emeritus Odama was awarded the Peacemaker Prize from World Vision International for his contributions to promoting peace in northern Uganda.
In 2017, Gulu University awarded Archbishop Emeritus Odama an honorary doctorate of Philosophy for his outstanding role in the restoration of peace also in Northern Uganda.
The Apostolic Nuncio in a statement, expressed gratitude to Archbishop Emeritus Odama for his generous service during twenty-five years and congratulated the new Archbishop Wokorach.
About Archbishop Wokorach
Archbishop Wokorach was born on January 21 1961 in Arua and attended his primary education at Ragen Primary School. He later joined St. Peter Paul Pokea Minor Seminary in Arua from 1975 to 1979. From 1980-1992, Archbishop Wokorach went to St. Joseph Ombachi for advanced-level education.
Between 1983 and 1987, Wokorach joined Uganda Marty’s National Major Seminary in Gulu, where he studied Philosophy and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy. From 1989-1993, Archbishop Wokorach enrolled at Tangaza College in Nairobi Kenya, and studied Theology.
On September 25, 1993, he was ordained a priest at WaduLai Parish under Nebbi Diocese by Gulu Archbishop Emeritus Martin Luluga and later went on to obtain a Master’s degree in philosophy at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi Kenya in 1994.
Archbishop Wokorach has also held various ministries and offices. He was a member of the Uganda Province, a community of missionaries, priests, and brothers in Uganda between 1993 and 1994.
He was also a curate in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1994 and 2001, lectured ethics, and ancient philosophy in Togo, between 2001 and 2003, and at Tangaza College between 2007 and 2015.
Christians react
Betty Akero Omuk, a Christian said the announcement is timely, as it will allow Odama to rest.
Anne Lamwaka Lugwa, however, said it is sad that Odama is leaving at a time when the region is not yet fully peaceful and his program for the emancipation of women is still ongoing.
