Clergy, social development staff and partners yesterday kicked off a four-day annual general meeting of the Catholic Diocese of Torit to prepare its pastoral vision.
Vicar general Fr. Celestino Muras told the participants that the meeting aimed at understanding the pastoral vision of the diocese and the needs of the people, Emmanuel Radio reported.Fr. Muras said the assembly was postponed from the usual February schedule due to the referendum and other events.
The agenda of the assembly includes the strength, constraints and future pastoral plans for the diocese, administration and financial management.
Matters of Church property within the state, in Juba and outside South Sudan, including land occupied by people, will also be discussed in the gathering.
On the development sector, the participants will have to discuss the strength, constraints and future strategic plans for the health sector, water and sanitation, education, justice and peace, communications and media.
Other topics are community empowerment and food security.
The meeting gathers all the priests in the Diocese, religious in charge of diocesan institutions, administration staff and development programme coordinators together with head teachers in the diocesan schools and partners supporting programmes in the diocese.