Northern Uganda Bishops Renew Call for Healing as Prayer and Peace Week Marks 20 Years
Northern Uganda’s Catholic bishops have gathered in Lira Diocese to mark the 20th anniversary of Prayer and Peace Week, a pastoral initiative that has become a cornerstone of post conflict healing in a region still carrying deep memories of the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency. The annual commemoration, running from 3 to 8 May 2026, brings together Church leaders, civil authorities, and lay faithful under the guiding theme “Peace be with you” drawn from the Gospel of John. What began in 2006 as a response to war related trauma has grown into a sustained platform for reconciliation, dialogue, and rebuilding trust across communities that were once divided by violence and displacement.
The gathering has drawn senior Church figures from across the ecclesiastical province, including Archbishop Raphael P’Mony Wokorach of Gulu Archdiocese, Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama, and bishops from Lira, Arua, Nebbi, and Kotido dioceses. Their joint presence underscores a unified pastoral message that peace is not only a political goal but a spiritual calling rooted in forgiveness and human dignity. Through shared liturgies and public reflections, the bishops have emphasized that healing remains an ongoing process that requires both institutional commitment and personal transformation at community level.
A central moment of the week was a peace march through Lira City, symbolising solidarity among dioceses and reaffirming a collective commitment to reconciliation. The procession brought together clergy, religious communities, and lay participants in a visible expression of unity, reflecting the Church’s effort to walk alongside people still affected by the consequences of conflict. During the Eucharistic celebration, Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok of Lira Diocese reminded the faithful that peace already exists within every person but must be nurtured through forgiveness, dialogue, and respect for human dignity. He urged communities to resist division and reject the social ills that continue to weaken trust, including corruption, tribalism, and exploitation.
The bishops collectively highlighted that peacebuilding must also be rooted in practical engagement with communities. Their joint message encouraged believers to draw inspiration from the perseverance of early Christian witness in the Acts of the Apostles, where faith remained strong even under persecution. Bishop Dominic Eibu of Kotido Diocese paid special tribute to the legacy of Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama, noting his long standing commitment to dialogue even during the height of the LRA conflict. His willingness to engage all sides, including reaching out to rebel leadership, was described as a powerful example of courageous pastoral leadership that helped open pathways to peace when tensions were at their highest.
As Prayer and Peace Week reaches its twentieth anniversary, the bishops have renewed their appeal for sustained commitment to reconciliation across Northern Uganda. They emphasized that peace must be actively lived in daily relationships, schools, and local governance structures, not only remembered as a post conflict achievement. Participants were encouraged to return to their communities as ambassadors of peace, sharing personal testimonies and fostering dialogue that can strengthen social cohesion. The message emerging from Lira is clear that while the scars of conflict remain, the journey toward lasting peace continues through faith, unity, and collective responsibility.
