The Catholic Diocese of Torit (CDOT) has officially announced the program for the reception and burial of Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban who died on 1 November in Nairobi, Kenya after being sick for a while.
During a press conference at Fr. Saturlino Ohure Hall at the residence of the Bishop in Torit on Friday evening, Vicar General Fr. John Sebit announced that according to the tentative program, the body of the late Bishop Paride will be buried on 10 November at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Torit in Eastern Equatoria State.
“There will be a requiem mass in Nairobi at Sacred Heart Shrine on Saturday 4 November 2023 at 10.00 a.m. The body will be received at Juba International Airport on Tuesday 7 November at 10.00 a.m. Then a requiem mass will follow at St. Theresa Cathedral Kator on Tuesday 7 November at 2 p.m.,” Fr. Sebit announced. “After that, the body will be taken to Nimule and Loa on Wednesday 8 November at 10 a.m. and there will be a mass in Loa at 3 p.m. The body arrives at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral on Thursday 9 November at 10 a.m. followed by a requiem mass on Friday at 10 a.m. and the burial will be at St Peter and Paul Cathedral on Friday at 1 p.m.”
According to the Vicar General, the program might be amended in case of any new arrangements.
For his part, Fr. John Opi, the spokesperson of the Catholic Diocese of Torit, said the church and the whole world will dearly miss the late bishop.
“The whole catholic diocese is mourning, the whole South Sudan is mourning and currently the people in Kuron Peace Village are also mourning as we are mourning here. The late Bishop Paride established Kuron Peace Village in 2000 to bring all South Sudanese together to live in peace and harmony despite their ethnicity,” he stated. “Consultations are going on and Kuron Peace Village will participate in the burial. As we said before, consultations are still ongoing and this is a tentative program, that will guide us but the final place for his burial will be communicated by Bishop Emmanuel Lowi Benardhino today or tomorrow.”
“They (Bishop Lowi and other clergy) have just gone to Juba for consultations and the final place for the burial will be communicated,” Fr. Opi added.