“Bishop Gasi Day”
“Bishop Gasi Day”
By CDTY Communication in News
Bishop Gasi day is an annual celebration in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio. He is the first native Bishop of the same Diocese having been appointed on March 5th, 1974, and passed on 13th September 2014 at the age of 94 at his home Diocese of Tombura-Yambio in Western Equatoria State, South Sudan.
The late Bishop Gasi
Every year the celebration of his day is organized and arranged by different deaneries. The Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio has 6 deaneries namely; Corpus Christi Eastern Deanery maridi, Resurrection Mid -East Deanery, All saints Central Deanery Yambio, Holy Cross central West Deanery Nzara, Holy Spirit Mid-West Deanery-Ezo, Our Lady Queen of South Sudan Western Deanary-Tombura. This year Corpus Christi Eastern Deanery maridi will be the one in charge of all preparation and the theme for this year celebration is “Peace is what I leave with you,” (John 14:27).
Corpus Christi Eastern Deanery maridi choir members getting ready to come to yambio for celebration
The celebration of his day will commence with the Mass presided over by Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro at St. Mary’s Mother of God Parish in Yambio. The shrine of St. Mary Mother of God where the remains of Bishop Gasi rest’s has been rebuild and this day too will be the official opening of the shrine.
St. Mary's Mother of God Shrine
According to Bishop Eduardo the celebration of Bishop Gasi day is a moment that the people come together to reflect and pray on Bishop Gasi way of life since Bishop was as “ardent, honest, great holy man who worked so much for the salvation of souls in the Diocese”.
The prelate also added that the late Bishop Gasi is known as one who initiated the peace process that gave birth to the republic of South Sudan. On the other hand, he is known to have visited President of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi in July 2001. During his appointment with President Moi which was held at Kenya’s State House at night, Bishop Gasi requested Moi as a good neighbor to help make peace in South Sudan. He told President Moi that “I know you Kenyans love wildlife, is it in your interest to have South Sudan become a wilderness by allowing South Sudanese to kill themselves!”
The late Bishop Joseph Gasi was among the first five indigenous Catholic Bishops of Sudan who initiated the Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference.
Rev. Joseph Gasi Abangite was born in January, 1st 1928, ordained as a priest on 21st December 1957, appointed to be the Bishop of Tombura-Yambio on 12th December 1974, ordained and installed as a bishop on 6th April 1975 at the age of 47. He retired as a bishop on 19th April 2008 at the age of 80 and died on 13th September 2014.
The event will run from 11th to 14th, September 2022.
