Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish - Eruba

The Missionaries of Jesus the Divine Master are providing Parochial services as well as services at the two (2) Secondary Schools and five (5) Primary Schools, one (1) Institution and four (4) Outstations (Chapels). The missionaries provide Christian Education in these Schools and administer Sacraments in them routinely.

Historical Background ff Eruba Parish, then Eruba Chapel.

The first missionaries who arrived in Arua were Verona Fathers in the year 1918. These Fathers were.

• Fr. Radael
• Fr. Fordenazo
• Fr. Simarchell

These were living at Anyafiyo preaching the words of God to the Soldiers. Protestant Missionaries were also there, for them they were going to spend their night at Ezuku. The first Catechist who was sent to come to Eruba was Cat. Micheal Asega. The first place where they settled to preach was at Ejupasi where the Parish Chief resides, by then they were called “Mukungu.” Christians who went to Ediofe to come and teach people about words of God were:

• Okello
• Pangarazio Tindia

From Ejupasi these people migrated to a place called “Wutululu” they built a shelter for worshiping God together with Protestants. They were praying in shifts from there quarrel took.

Place between the denominations where they separated. Catholics followed Arua Town route towards North. Then the land where the current chapel is built was given by OZAKA who was by then Parish Chief of those days in the Parish. In the year 1920 the first people who went to proclaim the words of God from Eruba to other places especially Ullepi in Madi Okollo County were Modesto Oyina and Benendeto Gonde in Offaka:

Temporary houses were built for worship. As the number of Christians started to grow in Eruba, they started to lay bricks to build the church, they roofed it using tiles in the year 1963 by then the Chapel Catechist was Trifone Adia. After some years, the roof was changed using iron sheets.

As the population increased more and more the extension of the church was done in the Southern wing and in the Northern wing as it is of today in 1998. Eruba Chapel was under Vurra zone the former Parish was Ediofe. Under Vurra Zone. The land of Eruba Chapel is leased together with the school. After that Vurra zone became as a Parish from the mother Parish Ediofe in the year 1998. Eruba Chapel was promoted as a Zonal Centre in the year 1995. The sacrament of Eucharist was installed in the year 2007.

The Decree of erection of Sacred Heart of Jesus Eruba as a parish was on 8th December 2020 in Lodonga Minor Basilica by Bishop Ordinary of Arua Diocese Rt. Rev Sabino Ocan Odoki.

The Lodonga Minor Basilica Celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in the year of the Lord 2020, December 8th, was the birthday when Eruba zone was elevated and given an official Parish status under the service of the Missionaries of Jesus the Divine Master (MIDM) by the Rt. Reverend Bishop Sabino Ocan Odoki, Bishop ordinary of the diocese of Arua. The parish was curved out of Mary Immaculate Parish – Vurra. The Parish was Operational from 1st January 2021, whereby the priests appointed were to officially resume their pastoral duties in the new parish. However, at the very beginning, the Covid 19 pandemic curtailed pastoral activities in parish since worship places was among the institutions closed.

The Bishop appointed Rev. Fr. Charles Idraku as Parish Administrator on 6th December 2020. Eruba Parish as a religious parish community of the Missionaries of Jesus the Divine Master, MIDM, Rev. Fr Charles was then appointed as a Local Superior to the new MIDM community by Very Reverend Fr. Dr. Robert Owiko Leku, who was the Superior General.

The Bishop appointed Rev. Fr. Lucas Mukose as the first Curate on 6th December 2020. In April 2021, Bishop appointed Rev Fr. Deogratius Mugenyi Ahimbisibwe Atwooki as a Curate and Chaplain of Schools within the parish. In the same year, the Superior General of the MIDM appointed Br. Anatory Aderick Mutalemwa as a Bursar to the MIDM Community of Eruba. In 2023 January 21st after his priestly ordination, Rev. Fr. Albert Kitaga was appointed to Eruba as a Curate by the Bishop ordinary of the diocese of Arua. On 29th July 2023, Deacon Gilbert Ogala was assigned by the Superior General of the MIDM to Eruba Parish.

Bishop ordinary of the diocese of Arua in 2024, July 24th appointed Rev. Fr. Albert Kitaga then as the very first official Parish Priest of Eruba Catholic Parish. Fr. Albert Kitaga was also appointed as a Local Superior to the MIDM community of Eruba on 30th July 2024 by Very Reverend Fr. Dr. Robert Owiko Leku, who was the Superior General. On 5th December, 2024, the new Superior General, Very Reverend Fr. Prof. Epiphany Odubuker Picho, reappointed Fr. Albert Kitaga as a Local Superior to the MIDM community of Eruba. The Superior General also appointed Rev. Fr. Lucas Mukose as the Community Bursar on 5th December 2025.

On 5th December 2024, Rev. Fr. Robert Owiko Leku, (Superior General emeritus) was assigned to the MIDM community of Eruba Parish as a community member by the current Superior General of the MIDM, Very Reverend Fr. Prof. Epiphany Odubuker Picho. In 2025, July 25th the Bishop Ordinary appointed Rev. Fr. John Edema, to Eruba Parish as Curate and Chaplain of Schools within the Parish.

Geographical Location of Eruba Catholic Parish

Politically, Eruba Catholic parish center is located in Embeva Village, Eruba Parish, Vurra Subcounty, Vurra County, Arua District, North Western Region, Uganda, East Africa. Ecclesiastically, Eruba Catholic Parish Center is located in Eruba Chapel, under Arivu Deanery, Vurra Vicariate, Arua Diocese in Gulu Ecclesiastical Province, Uganda. Chapels There are four chapels, namely: St. Kizito Chapel – Esiva, St. Gabriel Archangel Chapel – Okuvu, St. Thereza of the child Jesus Chapel – Aduniava, and Scared Heart of Jesus Chapel – Eruba. There is one Prayer Center – upcoming Chapel, i.e., St. Daniel Comboni, Ekaraka.

Small Christian Communities (SCCs): The parish has thirty three (33) Small Christian Communities (SCCs) distributed in the said four chapels and a Prayer Center as follows: St. Kizito Chapel – Esiva with Four SCCs (St. Charles Lwanga, St. Angela, St. Paul, and St. Mary Magdalene), Archangel Gabriel Chapel – Okuvu with two SCCs (St. Angela and St. Wilfred), St. Thereza of the Child Jesus Chapel – Aduniava with five SCCs (St. Matthew, St. James, St. Jude, St. Martha and St. Peter), and, Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel – Eruba with eighteen SCCs (St. Augustine, St. Thereza, St. Philip, St. Cecilia, St. John Bosco, St. Kizito, St. Dominic, St. Assumpta, St. Paul, St. Luke, St. Angela, St. Pius, St. Francis, St. Joseph, St. Mary, our Lady of the Rosary, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Judith, St. Florence/Florentina) and St. Daniel Comboni – Ekaraka (St. Elizabeth, St. Cecilia, St. Victor, and St. Peter Clever)

Population: According to the April 2022 population census of the parish, the total number of persons was at 4,114 (Four thousand one hundred and fourteen) distributed per chapel as follows: Esiva Chapel (383), Okuvu Chapel (370), Aduniava Chapel (726), and Eruba Chapel (2,635). The majority of the people are Lugbara by tribe with some Alur and a few other tribes who have settled by marriage or work reasons. It is worth noting here that Eruba chapel has the highest Catholic Population in the parish; while the other three chapels have a very high Anglican population.

Land Ownership Each of the four chapels have land on which the church/chapel and semi-permanent Catechists houses sit. The new Prayer Center, curved out of Eruba chapel, which is the upcoming chapel still working hard to acquire land for the Chapel. The status of the land owned by the chapels is as follows:

1. Eruba, Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel: Has a Freehold Lease Title with 22.5 acres of land which includes the land on which Eruba Primary School and Unit for the Deaf sits.
2. Aduniava St Theresa of the Child Jesus Chapel: Has 10 acres and has only started the land lease process
3. Okuvu, St Gabriel Archangel Chapel: Has 1.5 acres (Title details) and has only started the land lease process.
4. Esiva, St Kizito Chapel: Has 2.5 acres and has not yet started the land lease process.
5. Ekaraka, St. Daniel Comboni Prayer Centre, an upcoming Chapel. Still to acquire land.

Schools/Institutions: Eruba parish has only one Catholic Founded School (Eruba Primary School and Unit for the Deaf), however, there are other private schools and institutions that are served by the parish because there is the presence of Catholic faithful in them, and these include the following: St. Augustine Secondary School, Okufura Secondary School, Nile High Secondary School, Arua Institute of Health Science, Kajokeji School of Health Sciences, Ewava Primary School, Bright Hill Junior Nursery and Primary School, Kuluva School of Comprehensive Nursing and Midwifery, Kuluva Hospital and Uganda Christian University.

Associations in the Parish

The parish has the following associations

• Catholic Women Association of Arua Diocese (CWAAD)
• Choir
• Catholic Charismatic Renewal
• Catholic Family Association
• Altar Servers Association
• Holy Childhood Association (St. Kizito)
• Youth Association
• Church Scouts

Operational Structures

The parish has the following Operational Structures

• Parish Pastoral Council
• Parish Finance Planning & Development Committee
• hapel Pastoral Councils
• Chapel Finance Planning & Development Committees
• Parish Lay Apostolate Council
• Parish Land Committee
• Parish Liturgy Committee
• Parish Peace and Justice Committee

Pastoral Agents:

The parish has three priests (Fr. Albert Kitaga, Fr. Lukas Mukose, Fr John Edema), four (4) trained catechists (Maxwell Orijabo, Nechion Obeti, Michael Ovujoa, and Isaac Andrua), and five (5) untrained catechists.

Projects

There are several ongoing projects with the major ones including:
Eruba Chapel:
a. Pews Project for the main Church, in progress
b. Kitchen building – up to roof level
c. House for Catechist – In use but incomplete
d. Chapel store house – Roofed and fittings done but incomplete
e. Head Catechists’ house – In use but not plastered outside.

Esiva Chapel
a. Church building – In use, however, undergoing extension and needs plastering
b. Catechists house – In use, however, not plastered
c. Store house – In use, however, not plastered

Aduniava Chapel:
a. Church – Undergoing extension and renovation
b. House for Catechist – temporary and grass thatched.
c. Planning installation of a tabernacle

Okuvu Chapel
a. Planning installation of tabernacle
b. Catechists house – In use, however, incomplete
c. Chapel hall – beam level
d. Tents and Chairs project in progress


St Daniel Comboni SCC Prayer Centre; to be elevated to Chapel status – the development is in progress
a.Planning acquisition of the Chapel Land

Apostolate

The Missionaries of Jesus the Divine Master (MIDM) in Sacred Heart of Jesus - Eruba Catholic Parish strive to fulfill the command of Jesus the Divine Master to go out to teach the people (Confr. Matthew 28:20). The pastoral responsibility of Christian Education and the Defense of Christian Doctrine is effectively achieved through active apostolate in the Small Christian Communities, the Hospital (in the ministry of the sick), and the schools. In their apostolic tasks and mandate, the missionaries in this parish strive always to foster piety in a spirit of Faith and Love of God, promoting and instilling fervent Eucharistic and Marian Devotions among the Christian communities, and most especially in the youths.