Lira, Uganda | The Catholic community of Lira Diocese is preparing for a landmark celebration as Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok will ordain two deacons to the priesthood and ten seminarians to the diaconate on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
The solemn liturgy will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the ordination grounds of Uganda Martyrs Cathedral, animated by Aloi Deanery.
Deacons George Olwanda Ochieng and Ray Atula will be ordained priests, committing themselves to shepherding God’s people through Word and Sacrament.
They will be joined by ten new deacons, including David Onyango and Brian Obbo of the young congregation Sons of St. Pius of Pietrelcina (SSPP – Sons of Mercy).
The ordinations, Bishop Wanok noted, reflect both the vitality of the Church in Northern Uganda and the enduring strength of vocations in Africa.
He has often reminded the faithful that the call to priesthood and diaconate is not about prestige but about love, expressed through serving God’s people with faithfulness and mercy.
Behind the ceremony lies the quiet perseverance of the candidates, Onyango and Obbo, members of the SSPP, embody the congregation’s charism of mercy, service, and closeness to the poor.
Their stories, together with those of their fellow ordinands, symbolize the faith and resilience of many young Africans responding to God’s call in today’s world.
The Lira ordinations take place against a wider backdrop: while vocations in Europe and the Americas continue to decline, Africa remains the only continent recording growth.
Vatican figures show nearly 34,000 major seminarians currently in formation across Africa, and the Catholic population has expanded from 176 million to more than 280 million in just over a decade.
For Lira Diocese, the ordination of 12 young men is not just a local celebration but part of a wider African story of hope and renewal.
The Diocese will join the global Church in Thanksgiving, welcoming a new generation of priests and deacons committed to service in Lango and beyond.
Lira Diocese News Agency
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