Pope Francis has appointed Rt. Rev. Raphael p’Mony Wokorach, the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese. The appointment was revealed on Friday by Luigi Bianco, the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda.
Archbishop Wokorach, 63 a member of the Comboni Missionary until the appointment has been Bishop of Nebbi Catholic Diocese since March 2021.
He now replaces Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama who retired after clocking the 75-year age limit in line with the Code of Canon Law. Archbishop Emeritus Odama was the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Gulu and served for the past 25 years since his installation in 1999.
Speaking to hundreds of Christians at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Gulu on Friday, Archbishop Emeritus Odama thanked priests, sisters, and laity at the archdiocese for supporting his apostolate for over two decades.
He also asked them to offer the same support they accorded him to the incoming Archbishop Wokorach.
“…I want to thank all of you, dear fellow brother priests, sisters, brothers, and all laity of this archdiocese for having given me the very greatest support in my apostolate as the archbishop, may God continue to keep you with that spirit and work also with the new archbishop who will be installed and takes official position…,” says Odama.
The Pope has since been appointed Archbishop Odama as the Apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Gulu until the installation of Wokorach.
Archbishop Emeritus Odama who is now celebrating 50 years in the priesthood was the first Bishop of Nebbi Diocese from 1996-1999.
The Apostolic Nunciature in a statement seen by Uganda Radio Network expressed gratitude to Archbishop Emeritus Odama for his generous service during twenty-five years and congratulated the new Archbishop Wokorach.
About Archbishop Wokorach
Archbishop Wokorach was born on January 21, 1961, in Arua and attended his Primary education at Ragen Primary School. He later joined St. Peter Paul Pokea Minor Seminary in Arua between 1975 to 1979. From 1980-1992, Archbishop Wokrach went to St. Joseph Omabchi for his advanced-level education.
Between 1983 and 1987, Wokorach joined Uganda Marty’s National Major Seminary in Gulu where he studied Philosophy and obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy. From 1989-1993, Archbishop Wokorach enrolled at Tangaza College in Nairobi Kenya, and studied Theology.
On September 25, 1993, he was ordained a priest at WaduLai Parish under Nebbi Diocese by Gulu Archbishop Emeritus Martin Luluga and later went on to obtain a master’s degree in philosophy at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi Kenya in 1994.
Archbishop Wokorach has also held various Ministries and offices. He was a member of the Uganda Province, a community of Comboni missionaries, priests, and brothers in Uganda between 1993 and 1994.
He was also a curate in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1994 and 2001, lectured ethics, and ancient Philosophy in Togo, between 2001 and 2003, and at Tangaza College between 2007 and 2015.
*Source – URN*
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