The Catholics in Kotido District are very happy that the Reverend Father Dominic Eibu has been chosen as the new Bishop of Kotido Diocese.
Bishop-elect Eibu, a Comboni priest born in Lwala, Kalaki District, in the Soroti Catholic Diocese, will replace Bishop Giuseppe Filippi, whose retirement has been accepted upon reaching the mandatory age limit of 75 years. He became the third bishop of Kotido.
The Secretary of the Kotido Elders Council said that they think the newly appointed Bishop will be able to bring Karamojong and nearby places like Teso closer together.
Akore said that they were happy to have the Bishop, but he asked him to do what his predecessor did, which was to focus on educating the Karamojong and caring about their health.
“Our outgoing Bishop did great work and now I’m hoping that the new Bishop is going to follow in his footsteps in nurturing his Catholic faith,’’ Akore said.
Akore says that they are ready to work with the bishop as long as he has come to bring people together, help the poor, and put spreading the word of peace among the Karamojong communities that have been affected by cattle rustling as a top priority.
Akore asked the Christians to welcome the Bishop and work together for the betterment of the Kotido people, who were diverted by spirits of bloodshed.
According to Paul Lule, a Christian of the Kacheri Catholic Church, the appointment of the bishop, who is from Teso, is a great achievement for them because the bishop is familiar with the region.
“I am so happy because I believe the bishop, being from Teso, does understand some of the words in our native language and culture as well. I know he will shepherd the people well,’’ Lule said.
Lule says that the new bishop will open a new chapter in the lives of Christians but urged him to set up prayer sessions for the peace, hunger, and biting poverty in the region so that God can intervene.
Sean Paul Atanya, the LCIII Chairperson for Kotido North Division, says the appointment reflects equal treatment in all communities in Uganda. He said communities from the northern part of the country have been marginalized and have been unable to participate in such positions, but now the appointment has built trust in them.
Atanya said he is excited because it is the appointment they have long been waiting to hear, adding that he can’t wait to witness the installation of the new bishop.
The appointed Comboni Father, Dominic Eibu, is currently parish priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Cairo, Egypt. The special prayers for his appointment will be held on Thursday at Kotido Cathedral.
Kotido Diocese was curved out of Moroto Diocese in May 1991. That year, Pope John Paul II elected Denis Kiwanuka Lote as its first bishop. The diocese comprises the districts of Kotido, Kaabong, Karenga, and Abim in northeastern Uganda.
Bishop Kiwanuka Lote was made Archbishop of Tororo in June 2007. This left a vacancy in Kotido, which was filled by the appointment of Bishop Filippi.
