Help for the training of 30 seminarians

The Diocese of Nebbi lies in the north of Uganda, in a region that suffered greatly from the internal warfare between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government from 1987 to 2006. Whole areas of this region were devastated and destroyed, and the consequences are still very much evident today. To date, the people have struggled to rebuild a life for themselves.

Not only is the Catholic Church here very poor, but she also faces immense pastoral challenges. Within the territory of the diocese, there are a variety of ethnic groups, all speaking their own individual language. The Church also strives to promote reconciliation, for there is a seemingly perpetual legacy of hatred that is often passed down from generation to generation. Further problems include the tradition of very early marriages, often involving forced marriage, along with teenage pregnancies, belief in sorcery, entrenched opposition to the education of girls, and grinding poverty. Over 90% of locals are scraping a living from whatever crops they can grow themselves.

The diocese urgently needs more true shepherds, who can help the people find their way to Christ and to a life grounded in Gospel values. Only in this way, from within, can things truly change for the better here. But there is at least one ray of hope, in the fact that there are many new vocations. Indeed, there are 30 young men from the diocese who are currently preparing for the priesthood at different seminaries across the country. And every year in Nebbi, the Catholic Church can rejoice in new ordinations to the priesthood.

However, most of these seminarians come from very large and very poor families, and many have lost one or both parents. In fact, the father of one of these future priests was brutally murdered. Some still-living parents are frail and sick. As a result, the seminarians cannot expect material or financial support from their families. In fact, many of them must work during their time off to support their families.

That is why we are planning to help these 30 young men with their formation again this year, so that they can follow the call of God. We have promised a total of $27,300. Will you help them on their path to the priesthood?