Christmas Festivities 2025: St Arnoldus Janssen Parish Ariwa, Diocese of Arua, Uganda, Hosts a Grand Football Tournament
Igniting the “Fire” of Participation and Nurturing Brotherhood on the Green Field
ARIWA, UGANDA – St Arnoldus Janssen Parish Ariwa, Diocese of Arua, Uganda, is wrapped in an atmosphere of joy, enthusiasm, and togetherness. Alongside its liturgical preparations, the parish has chosen a unique and dynamic way to welcome and enliven the celebration of Christmas 2025 and the New Year 2026: a grand football tournament. This event is not merely about finding champions, but about strengthening bonds of fraternity among the faithful. Echoing since the first kick-off on 1 December 2025, the tournament has become a magnet for thousands of young people and children across the parish. This initiative has been widely praised as a progressive step by the Church in embracing the younger generation through a medium they love most: sport. The football tournament, divided into the Missionary of Holy Childhood groups (boys and girls) and the Youth groups (boys and girls), is far more than a competition for trophies or prestige. It is a spiritual journey designed to prepare hearts for the coming of the Prince of Peace.
A Pilgrimage Across Zones
The tournament was designed in a format that involves all outstations or chapels (46 chapels) within the parish. Matches began with preliminary rounds in each zone (five zones in total), allowing maximum participation from every basic ecclesial community. This structure, starting at the level of chapels or outstations, is deeply symbolic. It represents a Church on the move, a Church that journeys together, and a Church rooted in grassroots communities.
Each zone is a small community where people know and support one another. When teams advanced to the semi-finals and finals on 10–11 December for the youth, and 13–14 December for the Missionary Holy childhood, they carried with them the identity of their communities into the wider parish family. The climax of the matches during the weeks of Advent invites reflection: how far are we willing to cooperate, stand in solidarity, and support one another in bringing the spirit of our local communities into a greater unity?
Rekindling the “Fire” of Participation
Behind the dust of the pitch and the sweat of the players lies a deep desire to renew the participatory spirit of young people in the life of the Church. We recognise that the future of the Church is shaped by their involvement today. Through the rolling ball, young people are reminded that they have an important role in the life and mission of St Arnoldus Janssen Parish.
The Parish Priest, Fr. Wojciech Pawlowski, SVD, emphasised that the tournament is a form of modern evangelisation. “Our main goal is to renew and rekindle the participatory spirit of young people in Church life. We strongly hope that the enthusiasm and joy of the youth and children will not stop with this football tournament, but will continue in the many dynamics of parish life,” he said.
This tournament has become a space where young people can “return home” to their faith community, not out of obligation, but with overflowing joy. Here, they are no longer passive spectators in church pews, but active players building the Mystical Body of Christ through teamwork.
Breaking Down Walls, Building Bridges
Perhaps the greatest miracle of this tournament is not the beautiful goals scored, but the personal encounters that take place around it. In a region rich in diversity, differences in culture, ethnicity, language, and background can easily become invisible walls. Sr. Francesca, SSpS, the Coordinator of the Missionary of Holy Childhood, emphasized that this event is a valuable opportunity for children to get to know one another, to support each other, to learn true sportsmanship through competition, and to celebrate the joy of togetherness.
Yet on the football field, those walls crumble. There is no longer Tribe A or Language B; there are only teammates to be supported and opponents to be respected. Participants learn to know one another in honesty and authenticity. They learn to be open, to set aside personal ego for the good of the team, and to understand that true victory can only be achieved through cooperation. This is the living expression of Christian sportsmanship: the ability to recognise the strengths of others and to remain brothers and sisters even amid competition.
Celebrating the Love of Fraternity
As spectators watch the vibrant final matches, children and young people are invited to look beyond the final score. This tournament is a school of love. Every drop of sweat becomes a prayer, and every handshake at the end of a match becomes a sacrament of fraternity. In the Missionaries of Holy Childhood category, the boys’ team from Holy Family Chapel, Ariwa (Zone 5) emerged as champions (First Place), while the girls’ team from St. Francis Chapel, Zwinga (Zone 2), claimed first place. In the Youth category, the boys’ football club from St. Piter Clavier Chapel (Zone 3) won the championship, and the girls’ team from St. John the Baptist Chapel, Yangani (Zone 3), emerged as champions (First Place).
St. Arnoldus Janssen Parish Ariwa has shown that a football field can become a space where “one faith and one great family” is not merely a slogan, but a lived and celebrated reality. As we prepare to welcome Christmas 2025 and the New Year 2026, this tournament teaches us that the most beautiful unity is found when we are able to celebrate our differences in the harmony of Christ’s love. Let us continue to run—not only to chase the ball, but to pursue the crown of eternal life through active participation in loving service within His Church.
