By Abalo Irene Jerry & Anthony Ochan P’Lony, on behalf of the Central Organizing Committee for the Centenary of Palotaka
For a century now, in a quiet corner of Magwi County in Eastern Equatoria State, the Holy Family Catholic Parish of Palotaka has stood as a sanctuary of faith, a cradle of education, and a beacon of resilience. On 11 January 2026, thousands of faithful, sons and daughters of Palotaka near and far, will gather to celebrate a legacy built through sacrifice, perseverance, and unwavering devotion. This milestone is more than a commemoration, it is an inheritance, a responsibility, and an invitation to rebuild what war, poverty, and time have worn down.
The story of Palotaka is not simply a chapter in the history of the Catholic Church in South Sudan, it is a living testament to the power of hope in the face of unimaginable adversity. Palotaka is a mission born of courage and hardship. The journey began more than a century ago when Rev. Fr. Cereda and Rev. Fr. Cardani, two Catholic missionaries from Kitgum in Uganda, crossed into Acholi land in the then Sudan around 1925. Their earliest mission post was Lerwa, a rugged, cold hill where the people struggled to reach the church, yet where the missionaries persisted in evangelization despite loneliness, sickness, and discouragement. By 1933–1935, under the leadership of Brother Egidio and others, and with the blessing of local chief Rwot Aburi, the mission relocated to Palotaka, a land once used as grazing fields, which would soon become holy ground for generations. Palotaka’s story of evangelicalism of the Acholi corridor was possible because it emerged as a shared homeland where people from all corners of Acholi could come together, belonging to everyone, yet claimed exclusively by none.
Brick by brick, through bush-clearing, sweat, malaria, sacrifice, and even death, the first permanent church structure was completed in 1935. This marked the birth of the Holy Family Parish of Palotaka, a place destined to transform countless lives. The 100 years of Palotaka will celebrate a century of teaching, nurturing, and transforming lives.
From its earliest days, Palotaka was not merely a spiritual refuge. It was a center of learning, leadership development, and community empowerment. Teacher training colleges, catechist schools, elementary schools, and girls’ and boys’ education programs flourished. Despite the challenges of tribal diversity, scarce resources, and threats of war, the mission educated young men and women who would become priests, sisters, teachers, civil servants, and national leaders – in short, the clergy and layman whose contributions have shaped the current Acholi land and beyond.
More than 42 Acholi seminarians emerged from the mission, with 19 advancing to major seminary, and Palotaka proudly produced the first priests ordained from the region, including Fr. Leopoldo Anywar in 1960 and many others who would shape the spiritual landscape of South Sudan.
Palotaka also became renowned for its Agricultural Training College, Teachers’ College, and farming initiatives, earning the reputation of a “breadbasket of Equatoria.” Under the leadership of visionary religious leaders like Bishop Paride Taban, communities embraced ox-ploughing, mechanized farming, and food-for-work programs. The mission not only preached the Gospel; it fed the hungry, cultivated self-reliance, and nurtured dignity.
Palotaka has also been a sanctuary in the storms of war. During decades of conflict, including the long civil war between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), and the mass displacement of the Red Army, the parish did not simply shelter the vulnerable and innocent; it became a refuge for all who crossed its paths, whether victims or perpetrators. This dualism is one of the most profound paradoxes in its history: Palotaka suffered under the brutality of war, yet it opened its gates even to those who participated in that violence such as the SPLA, Red Army and SAF combatants. Thousands of children found safety, food, and education within its compound, even as armed groups, including Sudanese army regiments and Arab militias, forces that once sought to erase Christian presence from the hills of Palotaka, passed through its grounds. In these moments, the parish stood firm in its mission of peace, mercy, compassion and human dignity. Priests, sisters, and volunteers risked their lives to protect the vulnerable, while the Comboni Sisters, catechists, and clergy offered steadfast compassion, maintaining the parish as a sanctuary of light in a time of profound darkness.
When the mission was threatened by militia forces, faith not fear carried the community through. Palotaka survived because its people held fast to something greater than themselves: the belief that God had not abandoned them. But today as we look forward to the centenary celebration, Palotaka is a Parish Still Standing, But in Need. Today, Palotaka Parish oversees 20 chapels across East and West, serving hundreds of thousands of Christians. And yet, the scars of history are visible everywhere: The parish faces significant infrastructural and social challenges, with its once-proud church now deteriorating and schools operating without proper roofs, furniture, or instructional materials. Residences for priests and sisters are in poor condition, and catechists continue their service with minimal support. Many children and youth are compelled to learn in open spaces, while the broader community continues to struggle with the lasting effects of war – destruction, displacement and poverty.
Across its hundred-year journey, the Holy Family Catholic Parish of Palotaka has been shaped by extraordinary individuals whose courage, faith, and service laid the foundations of the parish and sustained it through war, hardship, and renewal. Among the earliest pioneers were Rev. Fr. Cereda and Rev. Fr. Cardani, the first missionaries who arrived in the Palotaka area in the 1920s. Their determination to evangelize despite isolation, harsh terrain, and illness led to the establishment of the first mission at Lerwa and its eventual relocation to Palotaka in the early 1930s. Supported by the visionary local leader, Rwot Aburi, who generously allocated land for the mission, the priests built the parish brick by brick, transforming what was once grazing ground into a thriving center of faith and learning. Their sacrifices, enduring disease, loneliness, and repeated setbacks, remain the cornerstone of Palotaka’s identity.
Equally deserving of tribute are the generations of priests, catechists, and religious leaders who nurtured the spiritual and educational life of the parish. Foremost among them is Bishop Paride Taban, whose leadership profoundly strengthened Palotaka during tumultuous years. His initiatives in agricultural training, food security, and community unity created a foundation that supported families throughout conflict and displacement. Together with the Comboni Missionaries and the Comboni Sisters who ran schools, provided health services, protected orphans, and guided youth these devoted servants kept the mission alive even when war forced thousands into its compound seeking refuge. Clergy such as Fr. Leopoldo Anywar, one of the earliest priests trained through the mission, further contributed to shaping local leadership and inspiring generations of seminarians. According to parish historical records, Palotaka nurtured more than 42 seminarians, with many advancing to higher theological studies and serving the Church across South Sudan.
Yet the unsung heroes of Palotaka’s century-long story are the catechists, teachers, youth leaders, and local families who carried the mission through adversity. Catechists walked long distances to evangelize villages; teachers conducted lessons under trees during wartime; women supported the parish through community farming and prayer groups; and youth groups revived parish activities after displacement. These everyday heroes preserved the liturgy, maintained community harmony, and ensured that faith did not disappear even in the darkest years of conflict. Their resilience is reflected in the survival of the parish’s chapels, the vibrancy of its choirs, and the continued commitment of families who rebuilt their lives around the mission.
Today, as Palotaka celebrates 100 years, it does so standing on the shoulders of these remarkable men and women, missionaries, local leaders, clergy, and lay faithful, whose sacrifices and devotion have made the parish a symbol of hope for all of Eastern Equatoria and South Sudan.
Despite it all, the people continue to worship in dignity, singing hymns inside cracked walls and under leaking roofs. Their faith endures. But endurance is not enough. As we celebrate 100 years, this generation has a moral obligation to restore what our ancestors built with their bare hands.
The Centenary Celebration is not about nostalgia; it is about renewal. It is a call to communities of Magwi county, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan as a whole; to the children of Palotaka in the diaspora; to the Red Army, to friends, alumni, faithful Catholics, development partners, and people of goodwill. The mission now requires urgent support to rebuild and strengthen its core structures and services, including the reconstruction of the church, rehabilitation of schools and teachers’ quarters, and improved assistance for catechists and parish staff. There is also a pressing need to revive agricultural livelihood initiatives, restore the convent and parish residences, bolster youth and children’s ministries, and preserve the parish’s historical records and heritage for future generations.
This is our time to come in, to honor, to rebuild, and to give back.
Palotaka is a legacy worth protecting. As we approach 11 January 2026, let us honor the missionaries who crossed mountains to preach the Gospel, the sisters who taught under trees, the catechists who walked miles to baptize the faithful, the farmers who fed the mission, the boys and girls who studied by candlelight, and the martyrs who gave their lives, known and unknown.
Let us honor the elders whose sweat built this parish, and the youth whose future depends on our generosity. Palotaka’s first 100 years were built on sacrifice. The next 100 must be built on commitment. Let us rebuild Palotaka, not because it is old, but because it is ours!
Contact Information
For inquiries, support, or to contribute to the rebuilding and renewal of Palotaka Parish, please reach out through the following channels:
- Email: palotakacentenary@gmail.com
- Phone: +211927366634 / +211927146027
- Address: Holy Family Catholic Parish, Palotaka Mission Compound, Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan
For more details or updates, kindly connect with the Palotaka Centenary Central Organizing Committee, the Parish Leadership, or reach out to the Acholi Community leaders.
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