By Sr. Henriette Anne, FSSA
“And if I have done anything of worth, dear friends, it is this: I have prayed for you fervently, silently, and daily. I have stood at the altar whispering your names into the chalice. I am still praying for you for our families, for our wounded land, and for the triumph of light over darkness”, says bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) as he celebrates his 17 years of Episcopate on 29th June 2025, on the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul.
In his letter shared with Rurugene Online Newsletter, the prelate who has been in the helms of CDTY since 2008 expressed gratitude to God who has walked with him for 17 years through “hills of hope and valleys of sorrow, through joy and pain”.
He noted, “I thank each of you for the flood of kind words, messages, and blessings you have poured out upon me during this anniversary. You have bathed my soul in consolation and reminded me that this ministry is not mine alone it is ours, held together by the bonds of prayer, trust, and shared suffering”.
In gratitude he thanked his brother bishops of Sudan and South Sudan, the priests, religious men and women, seminarians, catechists, and lay faithful who sustains the mission of the Church every day.
“I bow in reverence to Mother Church and in fraternal love to my brother bishops of Sudan and South Sudan. I embrace with gratitude the priests of the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio faithful sons in the vineyard; the religious sisters and brothers, whose consecrated lives are lamps in our darkness”, Hiiboro said.
He acknowledged the silent support of ecumenical partners, government officials, donors, and benefactors who have stood with CDTY “like quite angels”.
“o our friends in other Churches and faiths, to government officials, and to our partners, donors, and benefactors, you have stood with us like quiet angels”.
The local ordinary of CDTY further noted in his letter that his deepest praise is reserved for the people who carry the weight of suffering with astonishing strength. “You are the heartbeat of this bishop’s mission,” he writes, recognizing the lived faith of a people who continue to hope even when peace seems distant.
He reminds us: “Peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., and echoing the Gospel, Bishop Kussala places peace not in the realm of policy or programs, but in the daily decisions of faith, forgiveness, and love.
In conclusion he said, “I renew today my vow to walk with you not in strength, but in faith; not with perfection, but with a soul open to God’s will. I ask only this: pray for me, as I do for you, that I may always be a shepherd after the Heart of Christ. Through the mighty intercession of Saints Peter and Paul, I now invoke upon each of you the Apostolic Blessing a blessing to heal, to strengthen, and to carry you forward in love”.
