Fr Peter Mwale SPS reports from Narus, South Sudan.
St. Patrick’s Day 2022 was celebrated and marked with the blessing and official opening of the house for the Xaverian Brothers in Nadapal in Narus Parish in South Sudan. This occasion marked another phase of our history in the area of collaborative ministry with the Brothers in education in the Parish of Narus in South Sudan and in the diocese of Torit.
St. Patrick’s Boys Secondary School in Nadapal came into operation as a full boarding school in February 2019 with the admission of 58 young men and six teachers to attend to them. The school is situated at the border of Nadapal between South Sudan and Kenya. The fact that the school is boarding required close supervision and monitoring of the students all the time. St Patrick’s Missionary priests working in Narus parish realized that on their own they would not be able to do all this work of close supervision and monitoring of the students in the school on a daily basis. This is how the idea came about to approach the Xaverian Brothers from Kenya who are experienced in education to come and collaborate with St Patrick’s Missionaries by offering their services in teaching and running the daily administration of the school. St Patrick’s Missionary Society through the Mission Support in the district of East Africa was able source for funds to construct the house that would accommodate the Brothers adjacent to the school compound as they offer their teaching services to the young men of South Sudan.
The project of constructing this house began in September 2021 and was completed in February 2022. The Brothers arrived at the school on 13th February 2022. The local community and parish community decided to officially welcome the Brothers to the parish and South Sudan with the Mass of blessing the new house on St Patrick’s Day which is also a feast day for the Society and the school. It was a colourful celebration as people came from within Nadapal and from Narus. The occasion was graced by the Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Torit who represented the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese and presided over the Mass. In his homily he expressed his gratitude to the work done by St Patrick’s Missionary Society since the time the Society came to the Diocese in 1984 in uplifting the lives of the local people through prayers and education.
After Mass we had a delicious meal prepared by the women of the parish and then some speeches from the representatives of different communities and government officials who were present. The Brothers were also presented with gifts by the Christian community to help them set up their new home. This occasion marked a new beginning in our mission and a new way of doing mission in collaboration with other groups in evangelization especially in Torit Diocese as we mark our 90 years of existence as a Society. It is my hope and prayer that through having the Brothers as residence within the school, they will be able to equip the young men studying at the school with quality education and sound moral foundations that will help them to be good leaders and citizens of South Sudan as well as good Christians. We remain grateful too to the support have received from all our benefactors to enable us to construct this house facilitate our ministry in this part of the world.
L-R: Elizabeth Natabo, member of the Catholic Women in Narus Parish from the Local Toposa community, Fr. Tim Galvin SPS, Br. Steve, Fr. Vincent Agunbiade SPS, Nanya from the Toposa cCommunity , Fr. John Sebit, Vicar General Torit Diocese, Fr. Peter Mwale SPS, Br. Festus and Nakai from the Toposa Community.
L-R: Fr. Tim Galvin SPS, Br. Steven Xaverian Brother, Fr. Vincent Agunbiade SPS, Fr. John Sebit, Vicar General Torit Diocese, Fr. Peter Mwale SPS, and Br. Festus Xaverian Brother (New Head Teacher of St. Patrick’s Boys Secondary School in Nadapal) in front of the house for the Brothers after the blessing and official opening of the house on St. Patrick’s Day 2022 in Narus Parish, South Sudan.
L-R: Br. Festus and Br. Steve waiting to receive gifts from the Christians during the opening of their house in Nadapal, South Sudan.
From L- R: Fr. Peter Mwale SPS, Br. Festus, Marial Andrea (PTA chairperson for the school) and Br. Daniel Ongeso the Regional Superior of the Xaverian Brothers for East Africa. This was taken the day the brothers arrived at their new residence in Nadapal, South Sudan on 13th February 2022.
The newly constructed house for the Brothers at St. Patrick’s Boys Secondary School in Nadapal, South Sudan.