By Obiala Angel De-son | Torit
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Torit has called on priests and politicians in Eastern Equatoria State to emulate the legacy of Late Fr. Saturnino Ohure Hilangi, a renowned priest and political figure who was killed in 1967.
Speaking to the congregation at the Fr. Saturnino Ohure Mausoleum, His Lordship Bishop Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi Napeta urged priests of the Torit Diocese to follow Fr. Ohure’s example in preaching the Gospel and promoting unity among communities in the state.
“Priests must imitate the legacy of Fr. Saturnino Ohure in proclaiming the Gospel and uniting our people,”Bishop Emmanuel said.
The Bishop also appealed to politicians in Eastern Equatoria State to prioritize service to the people and work for the common good.
“Our leaders must work for the people of Eastern Equatoria and put their interests first,” he added.
Bishop Bernardino Lowi further encouraged young people in the Diocese of Torit and across the state to uphold the legacy of national heroes.
“I call upon the youth to follow the footsteps of Late Fr. Saturnino Ohure, Late Joseph Oduho Haworu, and other pioneers to build a better Eastern Equatoria,” he said.
Late Fr. Saturnino Ohure Hilangi was born in 1921 and is believed to have been killed by Ugandan soldiers on January 22, 1967, at Lokung village in present-day Lamwo District, Northern Uganda.
Fr. Ohure began his education at Okaru and later attended seminary in Gulu District, Uganda, in 1931. He was ordained in 1946 in Gulu, becoming the first Othuho (Lotuko) Catholic priest.
Beyond the church, Fr. Ohure played a significant political role. In 1957, he founded the Southern Sudan Federal Party, which won forty (40) seats in the National Parliament in Khartoum in 1958. He later became a leading representative of Southerners in the assembly before fleeing to Uganda in 1962, where he was killed in 1967.