The first cohort, comprising 57 catechists from West Acholi Districts, completed their training last week, and an additional 48 catechists from East Acholi Districts were enrolled on Tuesday.
Gulu Archdiocese has introduced basic counseling skills training for catechists to help alleviate the psychological burdens they face in their pastoral ministries. The training aims to equip them with skills to better support distressed members of their communities.
Catechists from across the 35 parishes under the Archdiocese were enrolled for a one-week basic counseling course at the University of Sacred Heart Gulu. The first cohort, comprising 57 catechists from West Acholi Districts, completed their training last week, and an additional 48 catechists from East Acholi Districts were enrolled on Tuesday.
Consolate Apiyo, a Clinical Psychologist and Counselor at the University of Sacred Heart Gulu, highlighted that the training aligns with the Church's doctrine of caring for the mental well-being of the community. She explained that catechists often carry heavy psychological burdens due to the distress they encounter among those they serve, as many Christians are dealing with traumas, anxiety, and depression arising from high living costs and domestic violence.
“People aren’t certain to live the next day, and the Church is seen as a place of hope and solace. The catechists are overwhelmed attending to their psychological care,” Apiyo noted. She emphasized that equipping catechists with basic counseling skills is essential to bridge the gaps in counseling services due to the limited number of professional counselors in the region.
“We have few counselors to support healing in this region, and the ones we have are exhausted and suffering from burnout because they can’t even find time to attend to their own care,” she added.
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Apiyo mentioned that the University recently completed research on mental health challenges in the region, with findings set to be released soon. Preliminary literature reviews suggest rising cases of psychological distress in northern Uganda.
The University Vice Chancellor, Fr. Jino Mwaka, remarked that catechists serve as the face of the Church, and the training is meant to prepare them to offer better support to those who seek help. He added that the University is positioning itself to train more professional counselors to address the gaps in mental health services, especially in the context of post-war challenges in the region.
Doreen Onek, a catechist at Holy Family Church in Laroo-Pece Division, shared that the training has equipped her with skills, including anger management, which she previously lacked. Onek said she counsels between two to five people weekly on issues such as domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse, and chronic illnesses.
“My son is battling an addiction to alcohol. He has lost direction in life, and I couldn’t handle him because I didn’t know that he needed more time to heal. Now I have learned,” Onek explained. Gilbert Lubangakene, another catechist from Omoro District at Mary Immaculate Chapel, praised the Church for providing the counseling skills.
“Some of the catechists came here when they had issues at home, but now they have started calling back home to resolve their conflicts,” Lubangakene told Uganda Radio Network.
Simon Wokorach
Freelancer