Offer the ‘hope of Christ’

Paul Oyie is the latest in the line of seminarians from the Archdiocese of Tororo in Uganda who have come to New Orleans to study for the priesthood at Notre Dame Seminary, and he couldn’t be happier as he approaches his ordination to the transitional diaconate.

“It’s a blessing,” Oyie said about following in the footsteps of the 38 Tororo seminarians since 1989 who have come to New Orleans to study at Notre Dame. “I really never thought I would ever come here, so it came as a surprise. I couldn’t believe it.”

Of the seminarians from Tororo to come to New Orleans for studies over the last 34 years, 23 have gone on to become priests for their archdiocese, located near the northeast coast of Lake Victoria in the central African nation.

There currently are three other Tororo seminarians studying at Notre Dame. Oyie came to New Orleans in December 2020 after having completed one semester of theology studies in Uganda. His arrival was delayed by travel restrictions during the pandemic.

Oyie is the third of eight children born to George Ogwang and Elizabeth Adur. He first felt a possible pull to the priesthood after making a seven-day, 150-mile pilgrimage in 2014 to the Shrine of St. Charles Lwanga and the 22 Ugandan martyrs, who were killed in 1886 for refusing to renounce their Christian faith.

“It’s a foot pilgrimage, and it was so difficult that I wanted to go back home, but then I realized that the martyrs were killed for their faith, and here I was, just walking,” Oyie said. “I just said, ‘I’m going to go ahead and do this. I can walk for God, and I can walk for Christ.’ When I finished, I was spiritually uplifted, and I wasn’t the same person I was before, and I wanted to do more.”

Oyie will remain in New Orleans after his transitional diaconate ordination and then return to Uganda in June 2024 for his ordination to the priesthood.

“It’s a joy to spread the Gospel of love with other people,” Oyie said. “I’m really looking forward to the diaconate ministry and people looking up to me as a sign of hope. I hope I can interact with them and give them the hope of Christ.”

– Peter Finney Jr.