Arua Diocese to construct retirement home for priests

Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Arua Diocese is seeking 1 Billion Shillings for constructing a retirement home for priests. The proposed diocesan retirement home which will also serve as a nursing home for the elderly and sick priests will be located in St. Peter and Paul Minor Seminary in Ayivu Division, Arua City.

Currently, diocesan priests who have retired are being accommodated in parishes and other places due to the absence of a retirement home for them.

The Bishop of Arua Diocese Rt. Rev. Sabino Ocan Odoki said that the collections for every first Sunday of the month in all the parishes will go towards the construction of the retirement and nursing home for the priests.

Bishop Odoki noted that the construction of a retirement and nursing home for sick and elderly priests in the diocese is top on their priority since many priests are languishing in places where they are not supposed to be.

Bernard Awich, the management consultant at Arua Diocese said that the proposed retirement home is expected to have at least 30 self-contained rooms, indoor and outdoor games, a sick bay with a mini intensive care unit, office space, and an ambulance among others.

According to the Rev. Fr. Francis Ukuni Xavier, the diocesan financial administrator, the care and accommodation of the sick and elderly priests have been a great challenge. He also notes that there are currently two priests who are in dire need of palliative care but the absence of a retirement home in the diocese has made it difficult for them to get the required services.

Rev. Fr. Pious Yobuta, the Chairperson of the Arua Diocese Priests’ Association welcomed the initiative noting that the project will reawaken the interest of the Christians towards supporting the priests.

Arua Diocese which was founded in 1958, curved out of Gulu Diocese, the current Gulu Archdiocese. The diocese currently has 60 parishes with 183 priests,172 religious women, and 38 brothers.

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