Historical Background:
St. Charles Lwanga’s Parish – Lokiliri is situated in Lokiliri Payam, 75km east of Juba Town. The parish is bordered to the east by St. Joseph the Worker’s Parish – Lirya, to the west by St. Mathew the Apostle’s Parish and St. Vincent De Paul Gumbo, and to the south by Assumption Parish – Loa and Magwin.
The inhabitants of St. Charles Lwanga’s Parish are mainly Olu’ba, with a quarter of the population comprising Bari, Ma’di, Acholi, Congolese, Kenyan, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Ugandan, Logwara, and a few Dinka communities.
Early Evangelization (1919–1930)
- 1919: The Catholic Church Mission was established at Rejaf, on the eastern bank of the White Nile from Gondokro.
- 1920: The first preaching of Christianity was made to the inhabitants of the Olu’ba people from the Catholic mission in Rejaf.
- 1920–1930: Thousands of inhabitants from Lokiliri, the main centre of the Olu’ba people, flocked to Rejaf mission for catechism instruction and baptism.
- Due to the large numbers, the Catholic Church Mission at Rejaf sent lay catechists to establish catechetical centres around the Olu’ba Area:
- Catechist Compeo – stationed at the Main Centre (where St. Charles Lwanga’s Parish now stands)
- Catechist at Lomega – deployed at a place now called Lomega
- Catechist at Gila-Kagu – deployed in Aru Village
Challenges and Famine (1930–1940)
- 1930: A great famine swept throughout the country, and the catechists could not sustain their work.
- 1930–1940: The inhabitants of Olu’ba returned to receiving catechism instructions at the Catholic Mission in Rejaf as they had done before.
Renewed Efforts and Setbacks (1940–1946)
- 1940: Monsignor S. Mlakic, Prefect Apostolic (1938–1950), decided to send Cirillo Wani, a son of the Lokiliri area who had studied at Okaru Seminary, to evangelize his people and open a school.
- The missionaries’ plan was for Cirillo Wani to prepare the ground for building a parish for the Olu’ba, who had shown strong Catholic faith.
- Government Rejection: The government rejected the plan to build the parish, citing safety concerns for White Missionaries in the remote interior.
- Relocation: Monsignor Mlakic insisted and instructed Cirillo Wani and Chief Lolik Lodu to relocate the parish to a safer place. Chief Lolik Lodu chose Lirya because it was located on the main road between Juba and Torit.
- 1946: St. Joseph the Worker’s Parish, originally intended for Lokiliri, was finally built in Lirya for both the Olu’ba and Lokoya communities. It was promised that the parish would return to its original site at Lokiliri when conditions improved.
Years of Uncertainty (1946–1972)
- The promise to return the parish to Lokiliri never materialized.
- 1972: The Addis Ababa Peace Accord was signed.
- Fr. Anania Lodu Bepo was sent to open Lirya Parish. However, being the only priest, he could not manage the work in all centres. Most centres remained unvisited for the whole year, leading many faithful to join other Protestant churches.
Revival and Growth (1986–1987)
- 1986: Archbishop of Juba, His Grace Paolino Lukudu Loro, installed John Gowan as Parish Community Leader.
- After a three-year leadership course, John Gowan was sent to Lokiliri to rebuild and reconstruct chapels in all Olu’ba Villages.
- Palm Sunday 1987: St. Charles Lwanga’s Parish was declared a Sub-Parish under Lirya Parish.
Disruption and Displacement (1987–2005)
- 1987: The SPLM war intensified, bringing evangelization work to a halt. The parish and its Sub-Parish in Lokiliri were forced to move to Juba.
- 2005: The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed, allowing the parish to return to its original place at Lirya, together with its Sub-Parish at Lokiliri.
Elevation to Full Parish (2022)
- Sunday, 27th February 2022: St. Charles Lwanga’s Parish was declared a full Parish by H.G. Archbishop Dr. Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba, due to the rapid increase in the Christian population in the Olu’ba vicinity.
Pastoral Areas
The parish has three big pastoral areas:
- Lokiliri – Main Parish
- St. Josephine Bakhita Chapel – Aru Junction
- Nesitu Chapel – Now being served by Silesian of Don Bosco – Gumbo
Administrative History
- St. Charles Lwanga’s Parish was mainly administered by Cirillo Wani and Acolyte John Gowan during its time as a Sub-Parish.
- The parish is now cared for by Fr. Johnson Jada Kalisto.
Challenges and Resilience
The parish was deprived of Archdiocesan activities and participation for almost 21 years of civil war. Despite these challenges, the faith of the Olu’ba people remained strong, culminating in the elevation of St. Charles Lwanga’s Parish to a full parish in 2022.