The late Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban has been laid to rest at the Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Torit.
The funeral took place on Friday, with thousands of mourners gathering at the cathedral for a requiem mass before the burial. They bid farewell to the first Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Torit.
The late Bishop Paride passed away on November 1 at the age of 87 in Nairobi. His body was transported to Juba before being taken to Nimule, Kuron, and ultimately arriving in Torit on Thursday for the final burial.
National dignitaries who presided over the burial included Dr. James Wani Igga, the South Sudan Vice President for Economic Cluster, Josephine Napwon Cosmos, the Minister for Environment, along with other national ministers such as Minister Angelina Teny for Interior and Minister Martin Abucha for Mining. National MPs and mourners from other states also attended the funeral.
As the late Bishop Paride was laid to rest, Cardinal Bishop of South Sudan, Dr. Stephen AMeyu Martin Mulla, shared these words:
“Now we can recommend the soul of Paride to God our father in heaven, and so I ask the father to bring the rituals here. On the side of this world, he is now dead, and on your side, he is alive and will live forever. Forgive Paride whatever sin he has committed through human weakness, and in your goodness, grant him everlasting peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Cardinal Ameyu led the burial ceremony, offering these solemn words in remembrance of the departed Bishop.
Josephine Napwon, a beneficiary of Bishop Paride Taban’s education initiatives in Narus, emphasized the widespread impact of the late Bishop’s services on the people of South Sudan.
In a heartfelt statement, Minister Napwon emphasized the pivotal role played by Bishop Taban in shaping leaders, stating, “I am standing in front of you as a beneficiary of the services of Taban. Without him, many of us would not have become leaders in South Sudan. The majority here are products of the Catholic Diocese of Torit, especially Narus Bakhita Secondary and Comboni Boys. This is where Taban started when he came to Toposa land, a detail often forgotten in his biography. He built the school during chaos with Arabs, turning darkness into light. One testimony is me –if it were not for him, I would not be the person you see before you.”
Catherine Akumu Magajina, a mourner from Uganda and a former member of parliament representing older persons in northern Uganda, shared her thoughts on the late Bishop Paride Taban, emphasizing his global impact.
“I want to tell you that the Late Bishop Paride Taban was not only a friend of the people of Torit; he touched so many lives. He has friends all over the world, and he is a friend of our president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. He was very bright and he was cheerful but we want to thank God who has enabled me to know Bishop Paride Taban. I know he was a freedom fighter, a peace lover and a uniting factor. He untied all of us. Today we are united because of him in death,” expressed Catherine Akumu.
She continued, reflecting on the journey of the late Bishop’s body, stating, “The journey of the body from Nairobi to Juba to Nimule, it was even supposed to go to Adjumani – all that is because of the love people have for Bishop Paride Taban.”
Sara Neri, the Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State, expressed profound sorrow over the passing of the Catholic Bishop. She conveyed that Bishop Paride breathed his last on All Saints Day, causing widespread grief. Neri described the late Bishop as a mentor and a person dedicated to peace.
“He is lying in this ugly coffin here; he has turned the impossible to possible, and you know Kuron Peace Village because of him. He was here during liberation; he did not leave Eastern Equatoria State alone and the diocese alone. He didn’t go anywhere with bombs all around because his faith is with the people; he stayed here as a government. Emeritus has taken the vision of Dr. John Garang by taking town to the people by founding the Kuron Peace Village,” explained Deputy Governor Sara Neri.