There are Nineteen(19) Parishes and Three(3) Sub-Parishes
NEBBI CATHOLIC DIOCESE PARISHES
There are
St. Anthony Parish, Angal
Angal Parish can be considered the Mother Parish in Nebbi Catholic Diocese since it was the first Parish among the Alur People in West-Nile. After the failure of the Mission in Orussi because of isolation and cold weather causing sickness where Fr. Pietro Audisio was Superior, in 1917, Fr. Antonio Vignato the Superior of the Uganda Mission obtained permission from the District Commissioner of Arua to transfer the Mission to Angal. So on the 25th August 2017, with the permission of the Padyere County Chief Hamis, Fr. Spazian and Fr. Santambrogio came down from Orussi to Angal to build with Bro. L Savariano, where Mukungu Edward Ovoyo welcomed the Missionaries and granted 100 acres of Land for the Mission.
Fr. Elio Zanei is now the Parish Priest assisted by Fr. Mario Zecca and Fr. Justine Ogen. Other Religious Congregations here include the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary at Angal Pastoral Training Centre and Angal Secondary School, the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu serving at the Hospital and the Nursery/Primary School and 1 Comboni Brother (Bro. Bonafini Gianni).
Holy Family Parish, Nyapea
This is the Second Parish in the Diocese after Angal, established in 1933. The first Parish Priest who opened Nyapea was Fr. Kampi and his Curate Fr. Patiang. The Parish had zones like Zumbo, Warr, and Paidha, which later became Parishes on their own. Fr. Justine Ogen the first native Comboni Missionary was ordained at Nyapea in June 1969. In 1973, Nyapea Parish was handed to the local clergy by Bishop Tarantino, Frs. Gusmeroli, Zanotto, and Bro. Dusi with Fr. Stephen Opira as the first native Parish Priest.
Fr. Patrick Jachan is now the Parish Priest, assisted by Fr. Paul Olum Moro and Fr. Emilio Onegwa. Other Congregations include the Sacred Heart Brothers at Nyapea College and the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate serving at the Hospital and Schools. Some Lay American Missionaries serve in the School for the Deaf.
Immaculate Conception Parish, Panyimur
Rwoth Agudi of Ocegu in November 2017 sent a messenger to Fr. Joseph Santambrogio the Parish Priest of Angal to send him the White Missionaries to teach his subjects. The Parish Priest sent him two young Catechists, Martin Okello from Ragem and Richard Oryema from Paroketo. The Catechists started to teach Catechism and opened a School with Classes one and two in Koch Parish under Nebbi Sub-County. In 1922, the Chapel and School were moved to Nebbi-Mbana (the present place where Nebbi Cathedral and the Diocesan Headquarters are). Bishop Angelo Tarantino of Arua Diocese opened Nebbi Parish on the 18th of May 1962. The Priests who began to work in the new Parish were Fr. Emilio Onegwa as Parish Priest (a born of Nyapea) and Fr. Jenesio Jakech (a born of Pakwach).
When Nebbi became a Diocese and got its first Bishop in 1996, this Bishop Msgr John Baptist Odama started the foundation of the Cathedral Church. The 2nd Bishop (Msgr Martin Luluga) completed the building work. The Cathedral was consecrated by the Most Rev Christopher Pierre, the then Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda in the year 2005. The Parish Priest now is Fr. Benard Denis Abanga assisted by Fr. Gaspar Agwokotho, Fr. Emmanuel Ocokuru, Fr. David Ongiertho and Fr. Lawrence Driwale. Fr. Raphael Okumu helps in the Secondary Schools of Comboni College and Nebbi Town. Other Religious Congregations include Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate with 3 Communities, Daughters of Providence, Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo, Marian Brothers, St. Martin De Porres Brothers, and Brothers of Christian Instruction.
Our Lady of Trust, Pakwach Parish
Both Panyimur and Wadelai Parishes used to be part of Pakwach Parish. At Pakuba, the Missionaries came on 17th February 1910. On 6th March 1910 Bishop Geyer blessed a big cross made of rough tree trunks and planted it there at Pakuba (Koba), as a symbol of where Faith entered the land. The pioneer beginning of the Comboni Missionaries at Omach ended with the death of Bro.Nicola Co’ of Black fever on the 1st November 1915. In 1916, the British Administration allowed the mission to be transferred to Orussi. But also at Orussi, due to isolation and cold weather causing continuous sickness the mission was evacuated in 1917. So on the 25th August 1917, the building work at Angal was started. This is how Pakwach missed becoming the first Parish after receiving the missionaries and keeping them for some few years. However some Prayer Centres or Chapels persisted and right from the beginning of 1918, the Priests in Angal were visiting Chapels like Panyango, Paroketo, and Panyigoro.
Eventually, Pakwach became a Parish in the year 1952 and the first Parish Priest was Fr. Ventorino Leone who was being assisted by Fr. Mc Bruno. on 27th October 1989, Pakwach Parish was handed over by the Comboni i.e. Frs. Carmelo and Bono to the Apostles of Jesus Missionaries with Fr. Ermejildo Athocon as the Parish Priest, and Fr. David Ongom ‘Kavera’ as the Curate. Then the Apostles later handed to the Diocesan Priests.
Now the Parish Priest is Fr. Charles Onegiu Gwali, assisted by Fr. Pastore Agwokotho. The Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate serve in the Health Centre and Primary School.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Nebbi Cathedral
Rwoth Agudi of Ocegu in November 2017 sent a messenger to Fr. Joseph Santambrogio the Parish Priest of Angal to send him the White Missionaries to teach his subjects. The Parish Priest sent him two young Catechists, Martin Okello from Ragem and Richard Oryema from Paroketo. The Catechists started to teach Catechism and opened a School with Classes one and two in Koch Parish under Nebbi Sub-County. In 1922, the Chapel and School were moved to Nebbi-Mbana (the present place where Nebbi Cathedral and the Diocesan Headquarters are). Bishop Angelo Tarantino of Arua Diocese opened Nebbi Parish on the 18th of May 1962. The Priests who began to work in the new Parish were Fr. Emilio Onegwa as Parish Priest (a born of Nyapea) and Fr. Jenesio Jakech (a born of Pakwach).
When Nebbi became a Diocese and got its first Bishop in 1996, this Bishop Msgr John Baptist Odama started the foundation of the Cathedral Church. The 2nd Bishop (Msgr Martin Luluga) completed the building work. The Cathedral was consecrated by the Most Rev Christopher Pierre, the then Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda in the year 2005. The Parish Priest now is Fr. Benard Denis Abanga assisted by Fr. Gaspar Agwokotho, Fr. Emmanuel Ocokuru, Fr. David Ongiertho and Fr. Lawrence Driwale. Fr. Raphael Okumu helps in the Secondary Schools of Comboni College and Nebbi Town. Other Religious Congregations include Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate with 3 Communities, Daughters of Providence, Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo, Marian Brothers, St. Martin De Porres Brothers, and Brothers of Christian Instruction.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Orussi
In November 1916, the missionaries were granted permission to leave Omach and establish a mission among the Alur in West-Nile in another area. At the recommendation of the British Officer (Assistant District Commissioner of Arua), Orussi was chosen as the Place for the new mission and work started immediately in this new place. In the same year 1917, Orussi was abandoned and Angal was chosen as the place for the mission. Much as Orussi was abandoned, the Lay People who already knew the faith kept on giving Catechism instructions to people under the trees. The mission at Orussi known as Italia is still remembered today for this (there is Italia Chapel, Zone and Primary School).
With time, many other Chapels sprang up, and these kept on multiplying like those already listed above until Orussi became a Parish on 1st January 1961 with Fr. Aldo Codognola as its first Parish Priest, assisted by Fr. E. McErlean. Meanwhile, the work on a bigger Church continued until its completion and consecration on 15th of August 1966 under the Patronage of Our Lady of Fatima. In March 1980, Orussi Parish was handed over by Bishop Tarantino and Fr. Paul Negrini to the Diocesan Clergy i.e. Fr. Gabriel Okwong as the Parish Priest and Fr. Cornelius Odubi as the Curate. The Parish Priest is now Fr. Geoffrey Owachgiu Stonick. The Sisters of Sacred Heart help in the Health Centre and Nursery/Primary Schools.