The Spiritans, a male religious congregation also known as Holy Ghost Missionaries, is ready to open its first mission in South Sudan.
The Superior of the Spiritans in Kenya, Martin Keane, told Good News Radio that pioneer group was expected to come to Rumbek Diocese last September but the move was postponed following the bishop’s death in July.
Fr Martin said dialogue is underway to have the Spiritans in Rumbek Diocese in the course of this year with two members ready to come in May and another two in October.
He added that the missionaries will learn the local language and culture first and then start evangelization through education.
Fr Martin called on South Sudanese to approach development with patience, citing the example of Kenya where the first years after independence recorded a rather slow process of growth and development.
The Diocesan Administrator of Rumbek, Fernando Colombo, welcomed the decision by the Spiritans to join other missionaries in the service of evangelization.
Fr Colombo said the diocese is still in the stage of first evangelization and it needs missionaries.
The Spiritans were founded in France.
They are about 3,000 ministering in the five continents of the world.
They prefer to work in places where the Church has difficulty finding pastoral agents and especially in contexts of first evangelization.