The Maya King of the Otuho tribe, His Majesty David Oyalala, has appealed to the Catholic Diocese of Torit to establish a parish and build a church in Hiyala Payam in Eastern Equatoria State’s Torit County to end conflicts in the area.
He made the call during the first ecumenical visit of Bishop Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi to his palace in Hiyala over the weekend.
The Bishop made a coursey visit to King Oyalala to seek support and find better ways of evangelizing the kingdom and the neighboring communities.
King Oyalala said the creation of the parish and the building of a church will help create peace in the area.
“I give thanks to Bishop Emmanuel because I have been in Hiyala for fifteen years and I have not seen something like a church. All the priests who have been here all these years do not have accommodation and the people are not united,” he stated. “The church is good because it is a uniting institution and the people listen to the teachings and advice of the church. When the church building is completed, we shall be very happy and all the neighboring communities of Hiyala will come.”
For his part, Bishop Emmanuel Bernardino Lowi appreciated King Oyalala’s leadership in seeking peace through the church. He also laid a foundation stone to mark the beginning of the construction of a church in the area.
“I give thanks and appreciation to the king for his leadership. I remember that I met him in Torit during the anniversary of the funeral of the late Fr. Celestino Muras and I am very glad to visit him in Hiyala,” he said. “As our chief, he is overall and we are in his territory so he can also bless our efforts and program to go ahead.”
Bishop Emmanuel believes that the Catholic Church and its development partners will bring various social services to the area.