“BE MY WITNESSES”
(Acts 1:8)
Pastoral Letter of His Grace John Baptist Odama
Archbishop of Gulu
BE MY WITNESSES (Acts, 1:8)
To: Clergy, Religious, Catechists, Youth, the Laity, all men and women of good will.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Peace and God’s blessings to you in the Lord Jesus Christ Our Saviour.
1. BEATIFICATION OF DAUDI AND JILDO: THE GOOD NEWS IN OUR ARCHDIOCESE OF GULU.
Following the recent event of the Beatification of our two catechists/martyrs Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa, I find it fitting to write and send to you this short pastoral letter for the purpose of official information and some pastoral recommendations from me for your spiritual nourishment.
Allow me to address you using the very words of Jesus Christ himself to his apostles: “BE MY WITNESSES (Acts, 1:8).
These were the very words which inspired young Catechists Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwar to offer their lives in testimonies of the message of salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ our Saviour.
The two were beatified in Rome 20.10.2002 by the Holy Father Pope John Paul II. Those of us who were able to be present at the beatification can recall the joy and the happiness of the whole people of God gathered in St. Peter’s square to witness the exaltation of these two martyrs to the state of Blessedness.
In his homily, the Pope gave absolute and constant priority to the dedication and witnesses of Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa. He affirmed that the two martyrs are raised to the glory of the altar of God to give to the entire Christian community the example of Holiness and Christian virtues being models and intercessors for Catechists and all the pastoral agents.
Their lives remain for us a shining example of the missionary zeal, fidelity to Christ, total commitment and selfless dedication. They set out to bring the good news of salvation to their countrymen, fully accepting the difficulties and dangers they knew awaited them as the result of their witnesses.
Indeed, these two young Catechists understood clearly that to be a Christian means to be a witness of the saving Word and deeds of Jesus Christ, above all, of His life, death and resurrection. One outstanding virtue we see in the lives of Daudi and Jildo is that of faithfulness to Christ. They took seriously and even paid with their own dear lives the Words of Jesus Christ to his apostles: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
It is this kind of witness which leads to Holiness; a witness of justice and peace; a witness of truth and Christian charity; a witness of light in the darkness of the world.
On the occasion of their beatification, the Holy Father Pope John Paul II pointed out that we cannot witness to the Gospel coherently if we do not live it faithfully. Daudi & Jildo are the best examples for us of faithfulness to the Gospel. They preferred to witness to the light of Christ as opposed to the darkness of sin.
II. FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF BLESSED DAUDI AND JILDO.
We have been blessed with the gift of these two Catechists/martyrs in the Church especially in our local Church of Gulu. They have left us with the living example of faith, charity, and faithfulness to Christ’s salvific message.
These two young Catechists were men of deep faith and prayer. Where there was hatred, they showed love; where there was darkness, they showed faith; where there was doubt, they prayed for the gift of light. Even though they were young in age, their confession of Christian faith overcame the most atrocious behaviour of the time (the killing of one’s guests).
While at Paimol, their vision was to transform the lives of their brothers and sisters by invokeing the power of God through persistent prayer of the Rosary, preaching the Word of God and deep trust in the power of the cross of Jesus Christ.
I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters to follow the perfect examples of witnesses of Catechists Daudi and Jildo.
To Priest and Religious.
You have a great responsibility to minister to your brothers and sisters in their spiritual and material needs after the examples of catechists Daudi and Jildo. Be men and women of deep faith, prayer, charity and sacrifice. Never lose hope in any difficult situation notwithstanding our times, for the Lord is always near to support you. Use your lives of consecration to lead others to Holiness. And always be a sign of the presence of Christ among the flock entrusted under your care. I thank you wholeheartedly for your perseverance in the vineyard of the Lord to give hope to people and assurance that God loves them.
Catechists.
I salute you and thank you for your dedicated commitment and witnesses in ministering to the spiritual needs of your brothers and sisters. Like Daudi and Jildo, we are aware that many of your companions sacrificed their lives in testimonies of the faith and Christian values that lead to Holiness. Don’t give up the good work you are called by Jesus Christ to do in the name of the Church. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Blessed Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa be your shield and protectors.
Family.
I strongly appeal to you parents to be the light of Jesus Christ in the family. Be teachers of the faith and love to each other, loving one another just as Jesus loved you. Take greatest care of the children God has given you and make sure they learn from you how to be good children, growing up in the knowledge, wisdom, fear of God and love of neigbour. To achieve this you must be close to God through the practice of daily prayer of the Rosary, meditation on the Word of God and reception of the Sacraments especially Penance and Eucharist. They are the means to obtain the grace of God leading to Holiness. I earnestly appeal to all those who are living as husband and wives but whose marriages have not been blessed in the Church to do so without delay. The Sacrament of matrimony offers to husband and wife the grace necessary to attain Holiness.
The Youth.
My dear beloved young people. You are the future of the Church and nation.
What the future will be tomorrow depends on the good connection you make with Christ now. Daudi and Jildo were young people like you. They built their lives on the Word and the example of Jesus Christ. Be close to the Church and follow the examples of Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa. Stay away from violent behaviour and be witnesses and promoters of peace, love and unity of the children of God.
III. CELEBRATIONS IN HONOUR OF THE MARTYRS OF PAIMOL UGANDA.
On our return from Rome, some three special celebrations have been planned to offer to us the opportunity to give glory to God for the gift of the two martyrs of Paimol/Uganda. The venues and dates for the three celebrations are as follows:
Gulu Cathedral: 16. 02.2003
This is a national Celebration in which some brothers and sisters from all the Dioceses in Uganda are expected to come to Gulu to express their solidarity with us in giving glory to God for the gift of the two martyrs to the Church in Uganda. Many Bishops and their flock have expressed the desire to join us in this celebration. Holy Mass begins at 10:00 a.m.
Namugongo: 03.06.2003
This year the Archdiocese of Gulu will lead the people of God in the liturgical celebration at Namugongo shrine. It will also be an occasion when the 2 Martyrs of Paimol Daudi and Jildo will be officially introduced and joined together to the other 22 Martyrs of Uganda.
Wi-polo/Paimol: 20.10.2003
This is an annual anniversary celebration to be held at the very spot where Daudi and Jildo were martyred at Wi-polo/Paimol.
I have directed the Vicar General, the Pastoral Co-ordinator, Episcopal Vicars and Deans to coordinate in the immediate formation of the Central Organizing Committee to prepare for the three celebrations. Your cooperation and involvement in any aspect of these celebrations will be highly appreciated.
I also take this opportunity to officially announce to you another good news we recently received about the Canonization of Blessed Bishop Daniel Comboni due to take place sometime in the month of October 2003. we all know the magnitude of the work to witness the Gospel done by Comboni himself which is now being continued by his spiritual sons, brothers and daughters in our Archdiocese of Gulu and the whole world. In fact, Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa are the fruits of the dedicated witnesses of the Comboni Missionaries. We thank God for the gift of Blessed Daniel Comboni to His Church. His dedicated commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is another enriching example to all of us.
IV. SPIRITUAL PREPARATION AND PASTORAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN VIEW OF THE THREE CELEBRATIONS
Every Church prayer and celebration are meant for obtaining the grace of God which the Church freely gives to the world. In order to obtain that grace of God, one must have faith, hope, charity and live in the state free of sin.
I strongly appeal to the priests, religious, catechists and all the pastoral agents in our Archdiocese of Gulu to prepare some catechesis for our people for the purpose of preparing them to receive the grace of God on the occasion of these three celebrations. Teach our people to pray through the intercession of catechists/martyrs Daudi and Jildo who are now very close to God. The fact that they are our own sons who know our needs, it makes easier for us to talk to God through them.
The Holy Pope John Paul II has dedicated this year to the devotion of the Holy Rosary. The Blessed Virgin Mary played a great role in the history of salvation. In fact, she became instrumental in witnessing to God’s plan to save the world. It was her faith and trust in God’s plan to save the world. It was her faith and trust in God that made her to be the mother of Jesus Christ our Saviour. She is also our Mother who loves us so much and ever desires that we all share in the fruits of salvation won for us by her Son. Therefore, I recommend that the recitation of the Holy Rosary be part of the daily prayers in all our Christian families to be accompanied by the reading and meditating on the Word of God.
Last but not least, I cannot ignore to address the challenges, pains and sufferings which many of our people, if not all, have been going through in the last years as the result of the conflict in our land.
With great concern, I appeal to all those who, in one way or the other, have inflicted sufferings and deaths to the neighbour to ask pardon from God and be reconciled, remembering that there is no love of God when one hates his brother or sister (1 Jn.3:4).
The beatification of the two catechists/martyrs has offered to us an opportunity for a spiritual renewal of our mind and attitude to stop killing each other, stealing, corruption, looting and practice of any form of violence. How can we expect to receive the grace and peace of God, if we remain in the darkness of sin, especially sin against God and neighbour? Our Christian witness must begin with the love of God and neighbour. Like Daudi and Jildo, we have to allow ourselves to be transformed by the Word of God so that we can witness the message of faith in peace, love, joy and dedicated commitment.
Through the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, Blessed Bishop Daniel Comboni, Blessed Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa may God bless you always and may He give to each one of you the necessary grace to be faithful witnesses of the Word and deeds of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
With my Pastoral Blessing, I remain,
Sincerely yours,
+ John Baptist Odama Archbishop of Gulu.
Given at Gulu Cathedral,
Commemeration of St. Agnes, 21st January 2003