Celebration of Catholic Schools’ Day Brings Hope and Self-Confidence in Western Equatoria State

The celebrations usually bring together students and pupils within and around Yambio County to a selected Catholic learning institution to have a day of sharing and remembering general educational achievements. In addition, the celebration offers participants the opportunity to strengthen the way forward in building a vibrant society with a clear goal in terms of education rooted in faith for all pupils and students.

This year, the celebrations which were held under the theme: School Children We Are for Peace, started with the gathering of all schools at Yambio Freedom Square in the morning and march through the town to St. Mary Mother of God Yambio Parish led by a police band.

Rev. Fr. Tombe Charles the Acting Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio who led the

Eucharistic celebrating for hundreds of students and pupils at Parish said that celebrating Catholic Schools’ Day in the diocese offers great lessons from the Diocesan Education Patron, Saint Daniel Comboni who brought the first seed of Catholic Faith and Education to the then Sudan.

“St. Daniel Comboni invites us to start life from a fresh to be nearer to Jesus Christ to get something new which was not there before through education,” Fr. Tombe said in his homily adding that despite the challenges, it is important to focus on what we want to be.

“All of us can achieve our vision if only we all work for peace that comes from God, this means entirely submitting ourselves to God.”

He challenges students and pupils, quoting the Bible scriptures that said, “we are anointed by God for a mission of bringing peace to people.” He said that students and pupils are getting an education to be quality competent people who are expected to work for unity and love for all humankind in the near future.

Barani Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio who is currently in Uganda sent a message of encouragement to pupils, students, teachers, and all who work in the education sector of the diocese.

In the message read on his behalf by the Acting Vicar General during the celebration, Bishop Hiiboro said that the Mission Statement for all our Catholic Schools is to provide a Catholic education that inspires all students to learn and experience academic growth in a safe, nurturing, and accepting environment based on Gospel values.

The Bishop’s message also underscored the Diocesan Catholic Education Vision which says that “We

believe that to achieve the mission of Catholic Education in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, we need to develop our capacity to function as a professional learning community.”

The Catholic schools in the diocese envision schools in which staff work together in collaborative teams focusing on literacy and numeracy, creative and innovative skills, and seek to implement best practices for improving student achievement on a continuing basis.

The diocesan Catholic Schools Charism is to serve God and community with courage and integrity; seeing the shining light in every child.

Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio currently has five high learning institutions, 8 secondary schools in eight different Parishes, 28 Primary schools, and 24 Nursery schools.

By Elias Ginana Mangbondo