The Catholic Diocese of Rumbek in South Sudan’s Lakes State on Friday received a new Bishop, Fr. Christian Carlassare after his consecration.
Fr. Carlassare arrived in Rumbek on Thursday ahead of his consecration which had been postponed last year after an assassination attempt on his life left him with gunshot wounds. Pope Francis appointed him in March 2021.
Addressing the faithful at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Rumbek after the ceremony, the Vicar General of Rumbek Diocese, Fr. Andrea Osman Okello said, “We are very happy and we thank God for giving us a new father Christian Carlassare as bishop of Rumbek Diocese. We praise God,” he said.
Fr. Osman revealed that Bishop Carlassare will be in charge of the 16 parishes under the Rumbek Diocese spanning from Mayen Abun in Warrap State to Kalthok of Lakes State in the East and Wulu to the South as well as Rumbek North County of Maper in the north.
Retired Archbishop of Khartoum, Gabriel Cardinal Zubeir Wako, urged the people of Lakes State to promote peace, love, unity, and reconciliation.
Lakes State governor Rin Tueny Mabor urged the Christians to work with the new church leader.
“On behalf of the government and of people of Lakes State I congratulate Bishop Christian Carlassare for his consecration as Bishop of Rumbek Diocese. We thank his Holiness Pope Francis for appointing Bishop Christian Carlassare and we thank his lordship, Mathew Remijo Adam, the Bishop of Wau Diocese who was the Apostolic Administrator of Rumbek Diocese,” he added.
The ceremony was attended by the Vicar Generals from Wau and Yei and national and state government officials.
At the time of his appointment, Fr. Carlassare had been serving in South Sudan’s Malakal Diocese since he arrived in the country in 2005.
Rumbek Diocese became vacant in July 2011 following the sudden death of Bishop Caesar Mazzolari on 16 July 2011.
Fr. Fernando Colombo, a confrere of the late Bishop, governed the Diocese as Diocesan Administrator until 27 December 2013, when Fernando Cardinal Filoni, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, appointed Fr. Mathiang Diocesan Coordinator.