In 2011 South Sudan received the independence from Sudan, where most African tribes lives now on the new country. In December 2013 civil war came to South Sudan and conflict between Dinka and Nuer spread to all tribes and the whole country. In 2016 our first SSpS sister Veronica Rackova was killed and our parish in Layina was affected by war. Most of the people exile to Uganda. In 2022 new bishop of Diocese of Yei come with a new pastoral approach. In 2023 Pope Francis with ecumenical leaders come to South Sudan crying for peace and dignity of women. In September 2025 we will try to come back permanently to our Lainya Parish with minimum 2 members.
Uganda with estimate 47,7 m population. Religions: Protestants 45,1%, Catholics 39,3%, Muslims 13,7%, other1,6%, none 0,2%. Literacy 76,5%. Around 56 ethnic groups; Baganda 16,5%, Banyankole 9,6%, Lugbara 3,3%, others.
After independence in 1962, in 1971 Idi Amin take over governance in Uganda with estimated of 300,000 killed during his regime. Local civil war and militant movements of group moving of North Uganda, South of Sudan, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi affected all these countries in 80’, 90’, 00’s. President Museveni took over Uganda in 1986 and still is leading this country. The next presidential election will be in 2026.
We are operating in Bidi bidi, which is in Arua Diocese with 3,4 M population and 2,3 M Catholics.
Since 2012 we have been in South Sudan, in Diocese of Yei, in the parish of the Holy Family in Lainya. Lainya is just 65 km from Yei and 100 km from capital city Juba.
In the end of 2016, the civil war reached our parish in Lainya. Most of the people exile to different neighbor countries. The biggest population from Equatoria States moved to Uganda site. Through more than 3 M South Sudanese refuges and more than 1 M escaped to Uganda. In 2017 we were invited to have pastoral work in the biggest refugee camp in Bidi bidi in Arua Diocese of Uganda. In Bidi bidi we have more than 260,000 refugees with 30 chapels operating by SVD’s with collaboration with SSpS.
Since 2017 we are not fully operating in South Sudan, but we have some pastoral visitation. Although we have one priest working in Jesuits Refugees Services in Maban, South Sudan. In case of shortness of staff, we focus of working with refugees in Bidibidi. So far, we have 4 priests and 1 brother who are working of 250 square km, 5 zones and 30 chapels in Bidibidi. In 2025 we expected another 2 priests, that allow us to also operate in our parish Lainya in South Sudan. In the end of 2024, we are planning formally open new parish in Ariwa, Arua Diocese of Uganda. Thanks to this we can integrated local people of Uganda with South Sudanese refuges with around 46 chapels. We will need more SVD members to the new parish. In this case we can operate from Lodonga community house close to zone 1 and 2 and through new parish of Ariwa to zone 3,4, 5 and local 16 chapels.
