By Sr. Laurencila, FSSA
Tombura-Yambio, February 3, 2026 – Bishop Barani Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio has established an official Diocesan Regional Liaison and Diaspora Coordination Team to provide pastoral care and coordination for clergy, religious, and faithful from the diocese living beyond its territorial boundaries.
The appointment, formalized through an official decree issued today, directly implements resolutions from the First Diocesan Synod of Tombura-Yambio, specifically Statute 4 and Decree 11, which recommended structured pastoral coordination and representation for the diocese’s members at national, regional, and international levels.
Bishop Hiiboro has appointed four priests to lead this initiative. Reverend Father John Gbemboyo, currently resident in Juba, will serve as Team Leader and Chief Diocesan Liaison. He will be joined by Reverend Father John Ngbapia based in Nairobi, Kenya; Reverend Father Raphael Diko in Kampala, Uganda; and Reverend Father Hume George in Rome, Italy.
The team’s mandate encompasses pastoral care of faithful from Tombura-Yambio residing outside the diocese, with particular attention to youth, families, and ecclesial associations. They will also serve as official coordinators between the diocese and other dioceses, parishes, Catholic institutions, humanitarian agencies, and international Church structures.
In his decree, Bishop Hiiboro emphasized that the team will operate in full respect of the unity of the Catholic Church and the pastoral authority of local diocesan bishops in territories where they work. All activities will be exercised in ecclesial communion and collaboration, with no parallel or competing structures to be established.
The appointed priests are authorized to provide pastoral leadership and fraternal accompaniment to clergy, seminarians, and religious from Tombura-Yambio wherever they may be present. They will facilitate unity, discipline, and responsible ecclesial conduct while coordinating pastoral and administrative affairs in communion with the Bishop’s office.
Additionally, the team has been granted authority to form a Diocesan Diaspora Committee by co-opting suitable lay faithful of proven faith, integrity, and competence. This committee will operate under the authority of the Bishop of Tombura-Yambio and collaborate with local diocesan structures where applicable.
The team’s responsibilities extend to organizing annual events, charity programs, spiritual formation activities, peace-building initiatives, and spiritual and economic empowerment programs aligned with diocesan priorities and the synodal vision. They will also assist in collecting pastoral and demographic statistics for planning and reporting purposes, in collaboration with local diocesan authorities.
Within the limits of their mandate, the team has been granted lawful standing to represent the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio before civil authorities and institutions, particularly in matters related to pastoral coordination, charity, institutional representation, and diocesan interests.
To ensure accountability and transparency, the team will submit periodic written reports to the Bishop’s office and present comprehensive reports during Diocesan Annual Assemblies or whenever requested.
The decree, which is official, canonical, and binding, takes effect immediately upon publication. Bishop Hiiboro grounded the establishment in Scripture, citing 1 Corinthians 16:14: “Let all that you do be done in love.”
This initiative responds to the growing pastoral, administrative, missionary, and developmental realities facing the diocese at national, regional, and international levels, particularly as members of the Tombura-Yambio Catholic community continue to live and work across South Sudan and in the diaspora.
