By Robert Elema 
 
Yumbe
 
The Christians of Mocha zone under Queen of heaven Parish Yumbe have continued to remind the Bishop of Arua diocese on the request to elevate the zone to a Parish. The request for a parish status started about 7years ago but the bishop had earlier on told the Christians to construct a house for the priest which is almost complete.
 
Speaking during the celebration of the feast of Daniel Comboni at Mocha on Tuesday, Mr. Isaac Draga one of the Christians in the area said, Mocha zone qualifies to be given Parish status and the Christians can easily manage the Parish. "This particular church was started in 1945 by my late father. Since then, the number of Christians kept on growing including the faith and what we have is not accommodative for the Christians, so, granting a parish status will help to bring services nearer to the Christians," he said.
 
 
The Bishop of Arua Diocese Rt Rev Sabino Ocani Odoki checks on the house built for the priests.
 
 
Mr. George Olema the catechist of Aligo chapel said, the distance to the current parish centre of Yumbe is giving them hardships while carrying out pastoral work. "It's hard to access the parish centre by the pastoral workers especially Kerwa zone that is the furthest which is about 40km from Yumbe parish centre. This long distance is travelled by a catechist for the monthly formation on foot or using bicycles, so this makes pastoral work challenging if one is not dedicated to do the work of God," he said.
 
Rev Fr. Robert Ayiko the curate of Yumbe Parish said the population of Mocha zone including the other two zones of Kerwa and Pasiki is enough to have a parish of their own. "What the Christians need to do is to work hard to achieve the purpose after all, they have already built the fathers house but they need to do some little things like building a kitchen and painting the fathers house, then the Bishop can give what he decides," he said.

 
Rt Rev Sabino Ocani Odoki Bishop of Arua diocese during the celebration of St Daniel Comboni feast
 
The Bishop of Arua diocese, Rt Rev Sabino Ocani Odoki said, he honored the demand of the Christians for the parish status but they should first finish the work on the Father’s house before he sends a priest to manage the parish. "I don't like to send a priest who will come to stay with the catechist because the children of the catechist will begin to complain that the food is not enough so, the priest must stay in his house and people bring him food there not that he should eat at the catechists home because it will bring conflict," he said.
 
"I pray that you work hard so that by next year, we have a priest staying here. So, you need to finish other structures including fencing the fathers house because security is very important," the Bishop added.
 
If granted the parish status, the number of zones that will be under the parish are 3 zones of Kerwa, Pasiki and Mocha with a total of 13 chapels and the number of Christians to benefit from the parish are over 2,000.

COVER PHOTO: The clergy and the religious enter Mocha zone church during the celebration of St Daniel Comboni feast By Robert Elema