Alice Obal is confident that her faith in God, which grew over the years
because of her interactions with St. Janani Luwum, many years ago, has tamed
the diabetes that disturbed her.
Obal, a resident of Dwol Village, Laliya Parish in Bungatira sub-county,
Gulu City, started walking in memory of St. Janani Luwum three years ago, but she
said this year feels different.
At 85 years old, Obal’s bones already ache with senility. The long journey
worsens it, but her heart is filled with purpose-divine healing.
Obal claims to have been diagnosed with diabetes, pressure ulcers, and a
heart infection. She, however, said this year, she stopped taking medication
for managing diabetes because God has “healed” her.
//Cue in: “Onongo atye ki…
Cue out: …Rwot ocanga’o.”//
The road to the memorial site at Wii-gweng in Kitgum district is filled
with more than 200 pilgrims from as young as four years old to 85, singing
hymns of praise and worship.
At Akworo Primary School, one of their stopovers during the pilgrimage,
Obal reminisced how St. Janani Luwum shaped her faith, following her
interactions with him twice.
Her late husband, Lawrence Obal, the headmaster of Kulu Keno Primary
School in Bungatira sub-county, who was a staunch Christian, turned himself
into a preacher to Christians who prayed at the school because there was no
church building in the area.
Obal recalls that in the early 1970s when Luwum was the bishop of
northern Uganda, he visited Kulu Keno Primary School, to witness how a school
head was devoting part of his time to preaching the gospel and overseeing the
congregation.
She revealed that when her husband was transferred to Alero Primary School,
he visited them again at the school, where she prepared for him tea, and held
meaningful discussions regarding Christianity, which made her grow in faith.
//Cue in: “Luwum aneno, pien…
Cue out: …waboko kwede lok.”//
Since there were no substantive clergy at their makeshift church in Kulu
keno, Luwum advised her to work towards becoming a devout Christian and portray
the qualities of a virtuous woman by showing love to the congregation.
As a wife to the preacher, she automatically became a lay reader, and a
mother figure to the congregation.
//Cue in: “Tam ma en…
Cue out: …acung matek i lokke.”//
Obal revealed that before meeting Luwum, she only considered herself the
wife of a head teacher. But upon interacting with him, belief in God grew fast,
and she held the position of treasurer in the church, besides being a lay
reader.
She believes that meeting Luwum made her learn how to pray. Although she
no longer holds a position in the church, she is a member of Mother’s Union,
and always intercedes for Christians through prayers.
//Cue in: “Onongo atye mere…
Cue out: …gin ma kwo.”//
More than 200 Christians started this year’s pilgrimage from St.
Philip Cathedral in Gulu City on Monday, February 10th and arrived in Kitgum on
Thursday.
Rev. Willy Olango, the Diocesan Secretary of Kitgum diocese,
said the pilgrims will have a two-day fellowship on the 14th and 15th at
Wii gweng, the memorial site, before the day of the anniversary.
//Cue in: “Ka dong inino…
Cue out: … angwen ki aparabic.”//
Luwum was the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda,
Burundi, and Boga-Zaire from 1974 to 1977. He spoke fearlessly against the
brutal regime of Idi Amin, and for that, he paid the ultimate price in 1977.
