Priests and members of St. Patrick Catholic Parish in Madera, Soroti Diocese, Uganda, have turned to divine intervention following a series of thefts targeting the church’s properties. Uganda: Church Members Hold Prayer to Curse Thieves Who Stole 2 Cows From Bishop In the latest incident, unidentified thieves broke into the church Kraal and made off with two cows valued at over USh 2 million (KSh 82,900). Efforts for peaceful recovery failed Daily Monitor reports that the cows had been offered to the bishop to help raise funds for constructing a USh 8.2 billion (KSh 340 million) Regina Caeli church building in Aminit. The parish priest, Father Henry Agit, and other Christians conducted special prayers and rituals at the Kraal, invoking passages from the books of Deuteronomy and Zachariah. They intended to curse the thieves responsible for the theft of the cows, a ritual that came after unsuccessful attempts to recover the stolen livestock through peaceful means. “Every thief shall be swept away, and every thief shall be expelled from Earth. I will send forth, says the Lord of hosts, and shall come into the thief’s house. The Lord says every timber or stone must be burnt in a thief’s house,” Fr. Agit chanted. Theft incidents started in 2005 The priest lamented about the parish’s challenges due to theft, emphasizing the recurrent nature of such incidents. He highlighted that the incidents persisted despite warnings against theft and efforts to preach repentance. That the stolen cows had been donated for a noble cause underscored the severity of the situation. Mr Sebastian Obula, the parish pastoral chairperson, disclosed that the thugs have been stealing from the church since 2005 when altar chairs were first taken. Church members supported curses Julius Benedict Enyagu Eroju, a parishioner, justified the prayers and curses laid upon the thieves, saying, “We cannot entertain people whose behaviours are making the society cry.” Choir master Julius Okima condemned the theft and warned the public against offending the priests as the curses laid upon the thieves may not be lifted unless they confess their sins. Meanwhile, the acting police spokesperson in East Kyoga, Mr. John Tukei, stated that he has yet to receive official information about the theft of church animals. Investigations into the incident are expected to be initiated once the police receive formal reports.
by Hillary Lisimba