Martyrs Days Celebrations of 3 june 2011

Arua Diocese was cut off from Gulu Diocese and erected as a diocese on 23rd June 1958. Its patrons are Sacred Heart of Jesus and our Lady Mediatrix of all Graces. The Diocese of Arua has three Vicariates, namely, Ediofe, Lodonga and Moyo.

The first Bishop of Arua Diocese from 1958 to 1984 was Rt. Rev. Angelo Tarantino of the Comboni Missionaries. The second Bishop of Arua Diocese was the Rt. Rev. Frederick Drandua. He led the Diocese from 1984 to 1986 as a Diocesan Administrator and from 1986 to 2009 as the Bishop Ordinary of Arua Diocese.

The third Bishop of Arua Diocese is the Rt. Rev. Sabino Ocan Odoki who came to Arua Diocese as an Apostolic Administrator from August 2009. He was then confirmed as Bishop of Arua Diocese on 20th October 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. His Lordship is the Bishop Ordinary of Arua Diocese up to date.

Martyrs Days Celebrations of 3 june 2007

The Catholic faith infiltrated Northern Uganda through the work of one of the Verona Fathers; Bishop Daniel Comboni who became the Apostolic Vicar of Khartoum in the Vicariate of Central Africa (in December 1877).After his death in 1881, the Combonimissionaries continued with the work under Bishop Xavier Francis Geyer moving southwards from Bahrel Ghazal through Gondokoro, Nimule until they arrived in Pakwach on the 2nd February 1910. At Nimule on the Uganda-Sudan boarders, they were not allowed to enter Uganda as they could not produce an entry permit except a recommendation from the Governor General of Sudan.

The Catholic Diocese of Nebbi was erected by Pope John Paul II on 25th February, 1996 under the patronage of Immaculate Heart of Mary. Its first ordinary was the Rt. Rev. John Baptist Odama, who received his Episcopal Ordination on 26th May 1996. He worked in Nebbi diocese until 1999 when he became the first Archbishop in the Ecclesiastical Province of Gulu Archdiocese. This province covers the dioceses of Gulu Archdiocese, Nebbi, Arua and Lira.  Nebbi Catholic Diocese was curved from the whole of the West Nile Region. Geographically, Nebbi Catholic Diocese covers a total land area of 5098 square kilometers in the then districts of Nebbi, Zombo, and some parts of Arua such as Rhinocamp, MadiOkolo and Rigbo.

Martyrs Days Celebrations of 3 june 2003 and 2019

Gulu, like all the territories along the Nile valley, belonged to the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Africa created in 1846, and which had been suspended because of too many deaths of missionaries. The sons and daughters of St. Daniel Comboni who were the first missionaries in Gulu had been there for a while.

The Vicariate of Central Africa was eventually re-activated and entrusted to Msgr. Daniel Comboni with the same boundaries of 1846. In 1877 he was promoted Bishop and Vicar Apostolic with his See in Khartoum. With the help of many explorers and commanders, Saint Daniel Comboni had studied and planned to push southward down to Uganda. Even so the Roman Authorities did not allow him to proceed.

Before Comboni’s death (1881) a Decree of Propaganda Fide had moved the southern boundary to the 10th degree latitude north and rectified the boundaries. On the 15th January, 1894 the boundary for Equatorial Nile was taken back to the 2nd degree latitude north. On 13th July, 1894 the “Uganda Vicariate” was finally established South of Victoria Nile. Thus, it was a satisfactory arrangement. 

On 12th of July 1968, the Holy See detached the Lango District, until then part of Gulu Diocese, and erected it into Lira Diocese, naming Fr. Caesar Asili as its first Bishop. He was consecrated and installed on 27th October 1968, Feast of Christ the King, in Lira. Bishop Caesar Asili died on 12th Oct. 1988. He was succeeded on 1st October 1989 by Bishop Joseph Oyanga, who retired on 2nd December 2003. The retired bishop of Fort Portal, Paul Lokiru Kalanda led the Diocese as Apostolic Administrator from 2nd December 2003 until the ordination of Bishop Rt. Rev. Joseph Franzelli. Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok is the current head of the Diocese.