About Us

The Catholic faith infiltrated Northern Uganda through the work of the Verona Fathers now known as Comboni Missionaries; Bishop Daniel Comboni who became the Apostolic Vicar of Khartoum in the Vicariate of Central Africa (in December 1877) founded this Congregation. After his death in 1881, the Comboni missionaries continued with the work under Bishop Xavier Francis Geyer moving southwards from Bahrel Ghazal through Gondokoro where they reached on 18th of January 1910, then Nimule until they arrived in Pakwach. At Nimule on the Uganda-Sudan boarder, they were not allowed to enter Uganda as they could not produce an entry permit except a recommendation from the Governor General of Sudan. But later, they were cleared from Entebbe and at last on 17th of February 1910, they reached their destination; the government post of Koba, a settlement on the Eastern bank of River Nile more or less facing the Present day Pakwach.
As for the recent History of the Catholic Diocese of Nebbi, it was erected by Pope John Paul II on 23rd of February, 1996 under the patronage of Immaculate Heart of Mary. Its first Bishop was the Rt. Rev. John Baptist Odama, who received his Episcopal Ordination on 26th May 1996. He worked in Nebbi diocese until 1999 when he became the first Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese. The Ecclesiastical Province of Gulu comprises Gulu Archdiocese, and the suffragan Dioceses of Nebbi, Arua and Lira.  Nebbi Catholic Diocese was curved from Arua Diocese in West Nile Region. Geographically, Nebbi Catholic Diocese covers a total land area of 5098 square kilometres in the Districts of Nebbi, Zombo, Pakwach and Madi-Okollo recently curved from Arua District.
When the Ecclesiastical Province of Gulu was created in 1999, Archbishop John Baptist Odama was transferred to the see of Gulu as the first Metropolitan Archbishop and the see of Nebbi was taken over by Rt. Rev. Martin Luluga who was the then Bishop of Gulu. The third Ordinary of Nebbi Catholic Diocese was Rt. Rev. Sanctus Lino Wanok who was appointed on the 08th of February 2011 after Bishop Martin Luluga retired. On 9th of February 2019, Bishop Sanctus, became the Bishop of Lira after his transfer there. Now the see of Nebbi is Vacant with a Diocesan Administrator, Msgr. Emmanuel Odaga steering the Diocese. He was elected by the College of Consultors on 11th of February 2019 to this task. The Diocese now has 19 Parishes and 3 Sub-Parishes.

Bishop’s House

P.O. Box 88,

NEBBI-UGANDA

Tel: +256 772 517368