Since South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in July 2011, Unity State has mostly made news for bad reasons. However, the Roman Catholic Church has this year, 13 years into the independence, surprised the people of Unity State with good news; the creation of the Diocese of Bentiu, from its mother see of Malakal.
The announcement has been whole-heartedly embraced by the local authorities and congregation. Unity State Governor Riak Bim Top has since announced the allocation of land to the diocese near Ariab in Bentiu Jedid. That is a major contribution to the new diocese and a sign of acceptance by the authorities.
Preparations were ongoing to receive the newly appointed Bishop Christian Carlassare, who successfully pioneered the modernization of the Rumbek Diocese. His achievements in Rumbek include the establishment of the Good News Radio Station, which broadcasts church and peace programs, the Mapourdit Hospital, one of the best in Lakes State, the Loreto Girls Secondary school, one of the best church-owned schools in Rumbek and most importantly, his personal dedication to servant leadership, which has seen Rumbek Diocese growing into an innovative Catholic hub in Bahr el-Ghazal.
When Pope Francis visited South Sudan in February 2023, Bishop Carlassare led a congregation of the Rumbek Diocese to Juba on foot to welcome the Holy Father.
Bishop Carlassare was shot at several times with an aim of taking his life in 2022, but God wanted him for something he needed him to accomplish in Bentiu. He is now the Bentiu Bishop.
I want to see good things during the tenure of Bishop Carlassare in Bentiu. I know the Catholic Church has the power and capacity to do them as stated in the book of Jeremiah 29:11: “I know the plan I have for you already.”
The Church has taught us that God created everything successfully and uses his servants to fulfil his purpose on earth. “I am God and I always set the end before the beginning.”
Bishop Carlassare’s tenure in Rumbek Diocese proved beyond doubt that he was training the children of God to make an impact on earth, unlike many clergymen who only prepare the people to go to heaven. As Dr Myles Munroe puts it: “The Church in most part is losing the world very fast because we are so busy preparing people to go to heaven while we don’t train them to impact earth.” I beg Bishop Calasare to bring a radio station and a branch of the Catholic University of South Sudan to Bentiu.
Several local reports of the government, the UN and the humanitarian agencies providing aid to Unity State, a leading producer of crude oil, are depressing. The oil contributes over 95 of South Sudan’s GDP. Unity State is currently facing myriad challenges, including flooding for the past four years, the intra-communal violence due to weak institutional capacity and the lack of media that can provide civic education. There are no roads, counties are not connected and there is no single university in Unity State.
I beg Bishop Carlassare to offer the people in Unity State two gifts; a university and a radio station, upon his arrival in Bentiu.
The place called Yoanyang was the first location in Nuerland where the Catholic Church was established in 1925 about 99 years today. It was where the Holy Bible was translated into the Nuer language and the Bible Society of Sudan described the Nuer language’s version of the Bible as “thokyoanyang”. Having the place becoming a diocesan seat is a great blessing for the current generation of Catholic Church of Unity State.
I want Bishop Calasare to also know that he is entering into Unity State where the Nuer Language, Thoknath, is the lingua franca, in addition to classical Arabic and English. I guess he has started intensive learning of the Thoknath Bible to integrate into the new community that God has chosen him to shepherd.
As one of the sons of Unity State and a member of Catholic Church, I join all those celebrating the milestone of having the Catholic Diocese of Bentiu and Bishop Calasare is most welcome home.
Ruot George, a freelance journalist and peace and human rights activist, is a graduate of Starford International University, (mutgeorge8@gmail.com, +211915050531)
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