Africa-Press – Uganda. The body of the Bishop Emeritus of Soroti Catholic Diocese Desiderius Erasmus Wandera has been buried inside St Immaculate Conception Cathedral.
Bishop Wandera, who served Soroti Catholic Diocese from 1980 to 2007, died last Thursday at his residence in Mbale. He was 92.
Archbishop of Tororo Diocese Emmanuel Obbo, the main celebrant during the burial Mass at Fr Hilders grounds on Tuesday, eulogised Rt Rev Wandera as a courageous man, who on several occasions during the Uganda People’s Army insurgency against the NRM government rescued priests from abduction by the rebels.
“He was not a lover of cheap popularity, this made some people misunderstand him. He was a bishop of straight talk, and he worked for the good of the people,” Archbishop Obbo said, adding that the late bishop worked hard to ensure peace and development prevailed.
Archbishop Obbo said projects, including the integral development arm of the diocese, Soroti Catholic Diocese Integrated Development Organisation (SOCADIDO), and Eneku village, were spearheaded by the deceased bishop.
“When I came here in 2007, we started implementing his vision,” the archbishop said.
He appealed to the faithful to keep the legacy of Bishop Wandera alive and also appealed to Christians to pray against defilement, and the spirit of witchcraft.
In a message delivered by the Apostolic Nuncio, Rev Luigi Bianco, the Pope said the late bishop was a dedicated servant of God.
The Vice President, Ms Jessica Alupo, represented the President and delivered Shs20 million for the funeral preparations. She said Bishop Wandera loved to have all children confirmed into the Catholic faith entering Senior One.
“At the time we were confirmed, Katakwi had no parish, so we were confirmed under the mango trees in Apuuton Primary School,” Ms Alupo said.
Who was bishop Wandera?
Bishop Wandera was born on April 16, 1930 to Dominico Manyuru and Maria Munyire, all residents of Osia Village, Tororo District. His father worked as an interpreter in the district commissioner’s office. When he became of age, Wandera was taken to Dabani, where he attended catechism classes and received First Holy Communion in 1938.
He started formal education in 1939 at Dabani Primary School where he studied for four years.
His headmaster, Mr Pantaleo Wabwire, asked him whether he wanted to become a priest. After answering in the affirmative, he was enrolled at Nyenga Seminary where he studied for seven years and eventually Gaba National Major Seminary for another seven years.
Wandera was ordained a priest on December 27, 1956 at Nyangole Parish at the age of 26 by Bishop John Greif.
In January 1957, he was deployed to Ngora Catholic Church, where he worked for six months and to Madera Catholic Church for another six months. In 1958, he moved on to Nagongera Catholic Church for another six months and later on to Kwapa Catholic Church for five years.
He also served as the assistant education secretary of the then Fr James Odongo, who later became archbishop of Tororo Archdiocese.
After working for a year, he was sent to England for a one-year study and later on to Ireland for four years of study. He studied economics, geography and political science at the University College of Dublin.
When he returned, Wandera was posted to St Peter’s College, Tororo for one year and later to Mbale College as a teacher. Given his agility and intellect, he was appointed to head the college, where he served for 12 years.
On November 29, 1980, he was appointed bishop of the newly-created Diocese of Soroti by the Pope while he was serving at St Paul College, Mbale.
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