Moving with the People
St. Patrick's Missionary Society in South Sudan, 1983 to 2022
by Ydo Jacobs
In 1983, six Irish missionaries joined Bishop Paride Taban in Sudan, working alongside local people. Civil war soon forced them into a life of displacement and danger, facing bombings, ambushes, kidnappings and armed groups. When fragile peace returned in 2003, Paride Taban and his staff (priests, sisters, lay missionaries, medical personnel and many others) choose the latter: the sick who need treatment, and the youth who see their future falling apart due to corruption, forced marriage and a new civil war.
Moving with the People
A story of fear, anguish, despair and trauma. But also of compassion, resolve, team spirit, and perseverance.
Published by St Patrick's Missionary Society, 2026
Download size: 12MB approx
By Ydo Jacobs
By Ydo Jacobs
The author: After studying sociology and theology at Nijmegen university, Ydo Jacobs (from the Netherlands) worked in development projects of the Catholic church in Ethiopia (1975-1978) and Burkina Faso (1979-1984). In 1984 he became an advisor of SudanAid, the development office of the Catholic church in southern Sudan. For the next 35 years he was involved in emergency, reconstruction and development aid in what over time became South Sudan. Largely as a result of the vagaries of war he was based consecutively in Juba, Torit, Pakelle, Lokichoggio, Narus, Nairobi, and once again Torit. Since 2020 he spends his time between Juba with his wife Margaret and Maastricht with his son Leo on research projects, community work, and a bit of gardening.