pastoral department annual activity report

DIOCESE OF RUMBEK - SOUTH SUDANP.O. Box 21102 - 00505, NAIROBI - KENYA

PASTORAL DEPARTMENT

ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2015

COMPILED BY ERNST ULZ, FINANCIAL COORDINATOR OF THE PASTORAL DEPARTMENT

VERSION OF APRIL 15TH, 2016

Diocese of Rumbek - Pastoral Department Annual Activity Report 20152 3

3. Pastoral Guidelines

The 14th General Assembly of DOR, which took place in Rumbek from 9th - 17th March 2015, issued a Strategic Plan. The resolutions regarding pastoral work are the following:

The Diocese of Rumbek’s main aim is to bring to the peoples in its territory the Good News of Jesus Christ as our Saviour. Pastoral work and evangelization are tools – be-sides many others – to achieve this goal. In order to improve evangelization work in the DOR, the following measures will be undertaken:

To continue the ongoing formation of Pastoral Agents through:

• Offering clergy and religious staff an annual retreat, preferably on the occasion of the annual DOR Assembly;

• Continuing the courses for catechists at the Pastoral Liturgical Catechetical Centre (PALICA) for one month once a year;

• The parish priests offering training courses for catechists on a parish level, twice a year;

• Continuing the outreach-programme of PALICA – ‘Itinerant Formation of Catechists’ – with one visit annually of PALICA in each parish;

1. Introduction

This report summarizes the activities of the Pastoral Department of the Catholic Diocese of Rumbek (DOR) for the period January to December 2015.

The Department’s office is located in “Bethany House”, Nairobi / Kenya. Its task is to provide diocesan personnel and missions with the means necessary for their pastoral services. The department raises funds for a wide range of pastoral activi-ties, humanitarian aid projects and for the upkeep of pastoral personnel. It has to ensure proper, effective and transparent management of entrusted grants.

However, the pastoral activities in the Diocese of Rumbek are far more than the ones mentioned in this report. Those listed are only the activities in which the Pastoral Department was directly or indirectly involved in.

The Pastoral Department is subordinated to the Head of the Diocese. Its main partner in the field is the Pastoral-Liturgical-Catechetical Centre (PALICA) Rumbek. Other partners and beneficiaries are the St. Josephine Bakhita Minor Seminary in Mapuordit, the diocesan Justice & Peace Desk, the Women’s Desk, the Youth Secretariat and the Pontifical Missionary Childhood Office and all parishes of DOR.

This is only a narrative report. The Pastoral Department undergoes an external financial audit of its books annually. The Audited Financial Statements for the Year 2015 have been issued on April 13th, 2016 and can be consulted by any stakeholder in the offices of the Pastoral Department in Nairobi.

2. Staff

Responsible: Mr. Ernst Ulz, Financial Coordinator, since June 2010Secretary: Mrs. Lucia Kwoba Amuyira, since April 2002 Accountant: Mr. Peter Kimosop Lang’at, since March 2013Project Officer: Mr. Deogratius Keeya, since November 2013Project Officer: Mr. Simon Chege Muchiri, since January 2015

N.B. Ernst Ulz will leave the department at the end of April 2016 and his successor as the head of the department will be Mr. Simon Muchiri.

The Staff of the Pastoral Department in 2015 (from left): Peter Kimosop, Ernst Ulz, Simon Muchiri, Lucia Amuyira, Deogratius Keeya


To improve record keeping by:

• improving the keeping of sacramental records in the parish, having the appro-priate materials provided by PALICA (baptism cards, registers, etc.) with imme-diate effect.

• Keeping other important legal documents, such as land titles, contracts for workers, etc.

To support Small Christian Communities through:• Promoting ‘trainer-of-trainers’ exercises so that these trainers can go into the

parishes and offer training at the parish level;• Training programmes at a parish level being done according to the parish

priests’ request and with approval of PALICA;• The Small Christian Communities involving Christian families, beginning within

2015.

• Providing catechists with regular incentives and support at the parish level, with the aim to retain the committed and ‘full time’ catechists;

• PALICA, together with the Head of the Diocese, elaborating a job description of the role and criteria on the selection of catechists – within six months;

• PALICA ensuring a continuous supply for the catechists of catechetical material;• At least once a year, at a parish level, offering retreats for the laity.

To strengthen the Justice and Peace-Desk by:

• Establishing a network of Justice and Peace Commissions in each parish of DOR, by the end of 2015;

• Having two local lay staff in the Justice and Peace Desk, by the end of 2015;• The Justice and Peace Desk offering annual seminars and training courses for

the members of the Parish Justice and Peace commissions at a diocesan level – as well as at parish level.

To strengthen the Women’s Desk:

• In order to improve the outreach service of the present Women’s Desk, the Desk-Coordinator being strengthened by a support team in Rumbek, by the end of 2015;

• By appointing a Women’s Coordinator in each parish by the parish priest, by the end of 2015.

To improve the pastoral care for men by:

• Carrying out consultations at the parish level to create awareness about setting up a Men’s Desk in each parish – by end of 2015.

To strengthen the Youth Ministry by:

• Continuing the Youth Ministry already functioning at a parish and diocesan level.

• At the parish level: offering regular retreats for the youth;• For the central Youth Secretariat: adding to the present team two additional

members representing geographical areas of DOR;• DOR: continuing the series of annual Diocesan Youth Congresses.

To improve the admission to sacraments by:

• PALICA: providing a unified format for the sacramental instructions, beginning in 2015;

• Making sure that the instruction period for baptism, communion and confirma-tion is at least one year;

• Instructing parents for a period of four weeks for infants’ admission to baptism.

Group work during the 14th General Assembly of DOR in March 2015


4. Activities of the Pastoral Department

4.1. First Priority: Upkeep of pastoral workers and overhead costs

The whole project of evangelization in South Sudan would not be possible without the persons who are at the forefront. They deliver personally the message of God’s saving love to men through their own testimony in the encounter with individuals and groups, their charitable works and their pastoral activities. These are the dio-cesan priests, the religious men and women, the catechists and the lay staff. They are the backbone of the Diocese and merit therefore our first attention.

While some of the religious congregations operating in DOR are able to bear the costs for their services, the Diocese provides for the needs of all Diocesan Priests and many religious men and women: They receive humble allowances, health care or insurances, one flight per year out of South Sudan for their annual rest and re-treat, subsidies for transport costs and vehicle maintainance. Lay staff receive sala-ries and other benefits according to Kenyan or South Sudanese laws. Catechists receive small incentives. A good number of priests also receive mass stipends.

In DOR, the departments share the costs for these human ressources according to their financial possibilities and to the main field of activity of the benefitting staff. The Pastoral Department provides allowances, health care and free flights for 22 priests and religious (monthly 8.250 US-Dollars for allowances only), mass stipends for 22 priests and incentives for approximately 200 catechists through their parish priests and other benefits. Other religious personnell is catered for by our Education Department or the Archangelo Ali Association (AAA).

To support Pontifical Missionary Childhood (PMC) by:

• Continuing ongoing programmes for training and retraining of Sunday School teachers at a diocesan level once a year at PALICA;

• The Coordinators of the PMC desk making annual follow-up visits once a year in each parish;

• The Formation Team: setting guidelines for the training of animators, mass-servers, Sunday school teachers, liturgical dancers, etc – thus creating unifor-mity.

To promote exchange programmes in all areas of pastoral work at an inter-parish level throughout the year.

To promote priestly and religious vocations through:

• Forming a Vocation Team;• Holding annual vocation awareness seminars;• Providing annual orientation courses for candidates for the priesthood;• Supporting the spiritual formation of young men at St. Josephine Bakhita Minor

Seminary in Mapuordit;• Supporting the Major Seminarians in Juba.

To fully support the ministry of chaplaincies, in the following areas:

• Military;• Primary and secondary schools;• Universities;• Prisons;• Hospitals.

To consolidate the new Liturgical Committee of the DOR by:

• Holding periodical meetings to discuss the rites and rituals used during the li-turgical functions within DOR;

• Procuring, in collaboration with PALICA, vestments, liturgical books, hosts, wine and other items for worship;

• Providing ongoing formation for liturgical animators;• Encouraging the formation of liturgical committees in every parish.

The pastoral personnel of DOR in their daily servides witness of the

Love of Christ to men. In the picture:

Sr. Maria do Carmo CMS of Cueibet, provides medication to children on

a daily bases.


4.2. Ongoing Pastoral Programs

Notwithstanding all the challenges posed by the insecurity and the bad road con-ditions in the territory of our diocese, the pastoral workers in DOR managed to implement most of the regular pastoral programs.

4.2.1. Programs run by PALICA

The Pastoral-Liturgical-Catechetical Centre PALICA in Rumbek, headed by our Di-ocesan Coordinator Fr. John Mathiang, is the main implementing organization of pastoral programs in DOR. In most cases, the Pastoral Department in Nairobi facili-tated their activities with fundraising and consultation for the project implementa-tion and reporting as well as accounting.

● The series of courses for head catechists, funded by Missio Aachen, continued with a training of one month in June/July 2015.

● The program of “Itinerant Formation of Catechists” funded by Mensen et een Missie, continues with short trainings by the PALICA team in each parish.

● The recurrent three-months Dinka Language and Culture Course of PALICA, funded since many years by Missio Aachen, took place from July to October.

● PALICA has distributed subsidies for catechists to the parish priests which originate from Propagation of Faith and Missio Aachen.

In addition to this, there are running costs for the office maintenance, logistics and other administrative costs in the offices in Nairobi and Rumbek.

The main challange at this regards remains the fact, that DOR has not been able to raise the money for covering these costs locally from within the Diocese. Con-sequently, the full burden for raising the funds for the upkeep of the staff and the coverage of running costs is still on the shoulders of the diocesan departments.

The Pastoral Department has knotted and maintained a net of various supporters who either give free, unrestricted, donations or support a specific group among the pastoral workers of DOR.

Donors of unrestricted funds in 2015 were:

● Pontifical Society for the Propagation of Faith: 34.000 US-Dollars, being the annual “Ordinary Subsidy” for 2014 17.000 US-Dollars for the formation and remuneration of catechists

● The Bishop of Graz-Seckau, Austria: 10.000 Euro

● The Bishop of Suwon, South Korea: 14.000 US-Dollars

● Missio Aachen: 21.645 Euros for the payment of catechists 5.000 Euros for the upkeep of our Diocesan Priests 20.000 Euros towards the road travel costs of Diocesan Priests

● Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart: 27.000 Euros for the upkeep of African Sisters. 3.373 Euros “PRIM AID”: solidarity fund of German diocesan clergy.

● Sudan Relief Fund: Employment of the Financial Coordinator

● Various donors of Mass Stipends

● And many small private donors.

Additionally, we increasingly tried to integrate as many of these running costs as possible into the projects these persons are involved in.

With this combined effort also in 2015 we managed to cover these costs and pro-vide for all the needs of our religious personnel and even produce a humble sur-plus at the end of the year.

A group of catechists in Cuiebet during a course facilitated by the PALICA team.


Short moments of play were also offered in Bishop Mazzolari Kindergarten and with the street children of Rumbek. The project was financed by DKA Austria and a private sponsor, Fr. Martin Walchhofer, of Austria.

N.B. Similar workshops took place in Rumbek in March/April 2016.

Another grant of Mensen met een Missie was given to the Diocesan Radio Station Good News Radio directly for a series of call-in-radio programs and short radio clips on peace and reconciliation. A similar activity was sponsored by Missio Stei-ermark in Austria.

4.2.2. Activities in favor of our clergy and religious

● A retreat of dicoesan priests took place in November 2015 with funds of Mis-sio Aachen

● Mass Stipends have been given to a large number of diocesan and religious priests in DOR.

● The Pastoral and the Education Departments jointly assure for the diocesan priests a medical risk coverage with the solidarity fund of Entraide Missionaire Internationale (EMI / IMS).

● A new joint activity of the Pastoral and the Education Departments for around 40 clergy, religious and full-time lay staff is a contract for medical evacuation in emergency cases with Doctors without Borders (AMREF).

4.2.3. Promotion of justice, peace and reconciliation

The Pastoral Department, the DOR-Justice and Peace-Desk and the Austrian donor organization DKA elaborated jointly a comprehensive project which includes all major activities of the Desk for the next three years and aims at gradually building up a strong and functioning network of Justice- and Peace-Commissions in all par-ishes. CESAR Italy co-financed this project. Workshops in non-violent communica-tion, trauma healing and other relevant topics with different target groups are on the agenda. Integral part of the project is an outreach activity, whereby the desk coordinator will visit all the parishes once a year to assist in the establishment of the local commissions. MIVA Austria donated a vehicle towards this scope. The project was developed with the former Justice- and Peace Coordinator Fr. Henry Gidudu who handed over his assignment to Mr. Abraham Malual Wantok in No-vember 2015. The project started with intense planning sessions and purchases in 2015.

Previously, during the year, with the funds of FASTENAKTION of the Diocese of St. Pölten / Austria, the Justice and Peace-Desk was re-established, equipped and first workshops offered to contact persons in the parishes.

With funds of Mensen met een Missie the Justice- and Peace-Desk facilitated Ra-dio programs in favor of peace and reconciliation, workshops for youth and elders, sports events and a Lenten Campaign for peace.

The Pastoral Department of DOR, in collaboration with the Justice and Peace-Desk and the Education Department, organized a pilot project on “Sports4Peace”: In workshops in two different schools (Bishop Mazzolari and Rumbek National Sec-ondary Schools) using sports and games as a means for social learning of peace.

A moment of “Sports4Peace” with the vulnerable children in Rumbek under the care of the Evangelizing Sisters


• Annual Feast for children• Uniforms• Catechetical material

CARITAS STEIERMARK (Austria) continues funding the project for vulnerable chil-dren in Rumbek, run by the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary in Rumbek. A private do-nor, Mrs. GISELA REMLER from Austria, added a considerable contribution for this project.

CHURCH IN NEED donated lots of books and posters to the PMC-Office, PALICA and the Education Department, e.g. “Children pray the Rosary”, “God speaks to his people” (a children’s bible) .

4.2.7. Seminarians

Major Seminarians: Four major seminarians finished year II at Consolata Philo-sophical Institute in Nairobi, while other major seminarians are studing now at the National Major Seminary of South Sudan in Juba. The relatively high costs for the studies in Nairobi were covered by the Comboni North America Province Mission Office in Cincinnati. The costs charged on the Diocese of Rumbek for the seminary in Juba are very low and are to be covered through local contribution.

4.2.4. Women Empowerment

The Pastoral Department continued also assisting the St. Monica Women’s Cen-tre under the care of Sr. Mary Mumu OLC, facilitating her communication with MENSEN MET EEN MISSIE. With these funds, Sr. Mary Mumu OLC, - contemporar-ily also coordinator of the Diocesan Women’s Desk - implemented a series of ac-tivities such as: Workshops on justice, peace and reconciliation, group counceling, group dynamics, trauma healing and leadership skills; Training in tailoring, dress making and beads works; adult education, human develoment and health care. This collaboration has started in 2010 and is set to continue at least until 2017.

4.2.5. Youth Ministry

The series of annual Youth Congresses, which had been funded by Missio Aachen, was temporarily suspended in 2015 for reasons of security and lack of funding, but Missio Aachen showed interest infunding these important events in future.

N.B.: Missio Aachen has been approached in March 2016 to continue funding the same activity for the years 2016-2018.

4.2.6. Pastoral Programs with Children

The Diocesan Pontifical Missionary Childhood (PMC)-Office is very active. It re-ceives financial support through the Pastoral Department by the following:

KINDERMISSIONSWERK in Germany approved a large project aiming at boosting again the Sunday Schools in our Diocese. The project is scheduled run over three years (2015-2017). It consists of several activities: (1) Annual training workshops for Sunday School Teachers (2) Annual follow-up-visits of the PMC-Coordinators in all parishes, (3) Production and/or purchase of catechetical material, (4) annual feasts of children, and (5) means of transport. Notwithstanding severe security concerns, this project has started slightly delayed and in a slightly modified way.

There was no new funding from the side of the PONTIFICAL SOCIETY OF THE HOLY CHILDHOOD, but there are still balances of funds received at the end of 2014, which helped financing small activities of the desk.

• Ordinary Subsidy (for the payment of the Sisters in charge for PMC, running costs and emergencies)

• Seminars for Altar boys and Alleluia Dancers

Alleluia Dancers and Mass Servers are integral part of the Eucharistic Celebration.


vacancy of the episcopal see since the last General Assembly, which had taken place in 2011, still under the guidance of our late Bishop Mons. Caesar Mazzolari. The main objective of the assembly was however to develop a Strategic Plan for the following years. This was achieved through an analyzis guided by Mr. John Fox from Kenya in group work and plenary sessions. The minutes and Strategic Plan were thereafter distributed to the participants. The section regarding pastoral work is reported in the first pages of this report.

4.3.2. Capacity Building

After the good experience with a Capacity Building course for diocesan pastoral staff on Project Management in 2014, DKA AUSTRIA and the Pastoral Department sponsored another training, this time in Basics of Finance Management. The six days’ workshop took place in February/March and was facilitated by Mr. Peter Musee from CORAT Africa in Nairobi and Mr. Peter Kimosop, the accountant of the Pastoral Department of DOR, with approximately 25 participants.

In November/December 2015, three DOR-personnel participated in a course of three weeks on Project Cycle Management at CORAT Africa in Nairobi. Sr. Anna Wamalwa and Thomas Kokhedie (sponsored by PROPAGATION OF FAITH), and Mr. Abraham Malual Wantok (sponsored through the DKA-Project for the Justice and Peace-Desk).

4.3.3. Publications

Since 2010, PALICA Rumbek had worked on a translation in Dinka-Language of the New Roman Missal. The project was then on hold because since 2011, there was no Bishop in Rumbek who could give the “imprimatur” for this ligurgical pub-lication. In 2015, the Pastoral Department received a revised version of both, the Sunday Missal and the Daily Missal and instructed to approach the Bishop of Wau, Mons. Rudolf Deng, who is a member of a Dinka-Community, for an imprimatur ad experimentum.

N.B.: Bishop Rudolf Deng gave this imprimatur ad experimentum for three years in April 2016.

In 2015, the Pastoral Department re-printed on behalf of PALICA Rumbek 5000 copies of the the Diocesan Songbook “WAAK NHIALIC”.

St. Josephine Bakhita Minor Seminary Mapuordit: This seminary under the care of Fr. John Skinnader CSSP accommodates around 45 students who study in the near-by Mapuordit Secondary School. While the seminary does its own fundraising, the Pastoral Department could assist in raising funds from the KINDERMISSIONSWERK Germany. The project “Transforming Mapuordit Minor Seminary into a centre of excellence” helped us to finance the largest part of the upkeep for the seminar-ians, a new vehicle, computer courses, driving schools,etc. The same donor gave funds towards a farming project which managed to produce a consistent amount of food to reduce costs for feeding. Annually, the Minor Seminary receives also an “Ordinary Subsidy” of approximately 150 US-Dollars per seminarian, which can be used for the running costs of the Seminary, including staff costs. Other support for particular smaller projects (borehole, generator, etc.) came from the Sudan Relief Fund, USA.

4.3. Extraordinary Pastoral Projects

4.3.1. DOR Assembly 2015

The major extraordinary activity in the year was the 14th General Assembly of DOR from 9th - 17th March 2015 in Rumbek, sponsored by DKA Austria. After a moment of retreat, the approximately 50 participants made a review of the four years of

Retreat Session during the Assembly


4.3.5. Support for Programs of Good News Radio

As previously men-tioned (under “Promo-tion of Justice, Peace and Reconciliation”) the Pastoral Depart-ment helped the team of the Diocesan Radio Station Good News Ra-dio through consulta-tion to raise funds for two peace programs from Missio Steiermark and Mensen met een Missie and for the big solar system which was inaugurated in August 2015 (see below under construction projects).

4.4. Infrastructure and Construction Projects

Notwithstanding the current Civil War in South Sudan and skyrocketing prices not only for basic commodities but also for construction material and labor, the Pas-toral Department managed to finalize some complex and expensive infrastructure projects with the help of various generous donor organizations. Most funds for these projects came in already in 2014 or earlier (and are therefore not reflected in the below overview of incomes) while the projects were implemented or final-ized in 2015. Priority was given to the purchase and installation of photovoltaic systems in response not only the ecological concerns but also to the extremely volatile fuel market which makes power generation through Diesel generators un-reliable and unaffordable. For these projects, the partnership with BBM Austria is very precious: BBM technicians design the systems on the bases of our indications and financial possibilities, purchase high-quality equipment in Europe, ship them to South Sudan and overlook the installation of all systems. St. Peter Claver’s Eco-logical Training Centre of the Jesuits plays an important role in the installation and consultation on the ground, too.

4.3.4. Means of Transport

In 2015, the Pastoral Department raised funds and ordered for the following vehicles:

● Landcruiser for the Pontifical Mission-ary Childhood Of-fice, sponsored by KINDERMISSIONS-WERK as part of the Sunday School Project. The vehi-cle reached in May 2015.

● Landcruiser Pick Up Double Cab-ine for Mapuordit Minor Seminary, also sponsored by KINDERMISSIONSWERK as part of the Project “Transforming the Minor Semi-nary into a Centre of Excellence”. (N.B.: The vehicle arrived in Rumbek in April 2016).

● Landcruiser for Romic Mission, co-financed by MIVA Austria and Aid to the Church in Need. (N.B.: Also this vehicle arrived in Rumbek in April 2016)

● Landcruiser for the Justice- and Peace-Desk: This vehicle was donated in 2015 by MIVA Austria as part of the comprehensive Justice- and Peace-Project financed by DKA Austria. (N.B.: It has been shipped from Austria in March 2016.)

● Three motorcycles were donated by MIVA Austria and delivered in April 2015. Beneficiaries were: Warrap Parish, Holy Family Cathedral Parish and Rumbek Logistics.

● The 156 bicylces donated by MIVA Austria for the catechists in the Diocese of Rumbek, were assembled distributed by PALICA to the parish priests dur-ing the year 2015. N.B.: With the remaining balance of the bicycle project, the Pastoral Department purchased further 48 bicycles in 2016 and will transport them to Rumbek earliest possible.

Grateful P.M.C.-Sisters in front of their new vehicle


tanks ordered from Nairobi-based Steel Structures LTD and transported to Rum-bek in December 2015.

N.B.: The systems in Marial Lou and Romic are expected to be completed and functioning by May 2016. For the fencing of the system in these two missions and Warrap, some assessment has still to be done.

4.4.3. Solar System for Good News Radio

In August 2015, Good News Radio and the Diocesan Coordinator Fr. John Mathi-ang Machol inaugurated solemny a huge photovoltaic system which provides 39 Kilowatt per hour electricity to the Radio Station for 12 hours a day during sunny days and allowed the Radio Station to extend operating hours to 18. The project included also the extension of the battery room, the strenthening of the nearby church roof which was to bear a part of the load of the panels, and security fencing

4.4.1. Solar System for Residence for Priests in Holy Family Cathedral Parish Rumbek

The powerful solar system for the house of the priests in Rumbek Holy Family parish was finished in early 2015. Funds came from AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED, MISSIO AACHEN, the ARCHDIOCESE OF COLOGNE and PROPAGATION OF FAITH, the tehcnical design came from BBM Aus-tria, and the installation was made by St. Peter Claver’s Ecological Training Centre in Rumbek. The system deliv-ers sufficient power not only for the priests’ residence but also for the of-fices and rooms of nearby PALICA.

N.B.: Funds of PROPAGATION OF FAITH received at the end of 2015 for a small solar system for PALICA will be used to boost the already existing plant with additional equipment to increase its power output.

With balances of the grant of CHURCH IN NEED the Pastoral Department purchased a 40.000 liter galvanized steel water tank in 2015 which was - with additional fund-ing from the same organization - transported to Rumbek at the end of 2015 and erected in March 2016.

4.4.2. Solar powered water pumping systems for five less developed parishes or sub-parishes

In 2014, the Pastoral Department started implementing this complex project - funded by AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED, DKA AUSTRIA and CESAR - which aims at providing running water to five of the least developed missions in DOR. The five systems include a new borehole, a submersible solar water pump powered by solar panels, a 20.000 liters galvanized steel water tank of a six meter high stand, a community water point and plumbing works and security fencing for the parish.

By the end of 2015, three system were completed in Pacong, Bunagok and Warrap.

In Marial Lou and Romic boreholes were drilled in January 2015 and subsequently the remaining two pumping systems were ordered from BBM Austria, two steel

Battery room as part of the photovoltaic system of the house of the priests

Fr. John Waweru in Pacong is using the water of the solar powered water pumping system also for irrigating the parishes vegetable garden.


for the Radio Station. When the fuel crises in Rumbek was at its peak, this system makes the Radio Station almost independent from high Diesel costs for the power generators with savings of up to two thirds of the costs. Support for this project came from AMSUDAN (in kind: solar panels), DKA Austria, the ARCHDIOCESE OF COLOGNE and the SUDAN RELIEF FUND.

4.4.4. Small solar systems for three parishes

The PONTIFICAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF FAITH finances the purchase of three small solar system for parishes who don’t have a functioning electrical supply: Romic, Bunagok and Marial Lou. The systems were delivered to Rumbek in April 2015. One set was given to Romic while the other two are yet to be handed out to the two beneficiary parishes.

Official Inauguration of the photovoltaic system of Good News Radio Rumbek

4.4.5. Securing Church Property in Bunagok through fencing

In 2015, the main works of a 1.866 meters long fence around the mission of Buna-gok was completed, with just the two gates pending at the end of the year. The aim of the project is to allow sustainable parish development in Bunagok. Donors of this project are AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED, CESAR, the COMBONI MISSION OF-FICE NORTH AMERICA PROVINCE and the ARCHDIOCESE OF COLOGNE. The fence was also co-financed by the above mentioned project of solar water pumping proj-ects.

4.4.6. Pending construction projects

PROPAGATION OF FAITH gave in 2014 a small amount which should help the Dio-cese of Rumbek to start planning for the project of construction of a Church in Warrap. At the end of 2015, this money was still untouched.

The construction of Marial Lou Church has been stuck for many years, as funds are exhausted and no architectural drawings and technical records are availalbe of the existing foundation.

Meditating the Way of the Cross in Bunagok, in front of the new fence


4.5. Humanitarian Aid Projects

Although it is not a core task of the Pastoral Department, on several occasions it raised funds for emergency interventions, in response to the pressing famine and as an expression of God’s love to his people.

N.B.: The main actor of Humanitarian Aid in the Diocese of Rumbek is CARITAS RUMBEK, managed by Fr. John Waweru.

4.5.1. Emergency Feeding Project

A backdonor of KINDERMISSIONSWERK decided to donate his/her inheritance for the starving people in South Sudan. With this money, the Pastoral Department could order three trailer loads of basic food supplies which were to be distributed in Rumbek, Tonj, Warrap, Marial Lou and Romic.

N.B.: The food was transported on site and distributed as planned in February 2016.

Additionally, smaller grants were used to help the poor. Here just some examples: The DICOESE OF GURK-KLAGENFURT in Austria destinated for “Priests in Devel-oping Countries” (PIEL) donated a small amount which the Pastoral Department distributed to the parish priests for their charitable work. MISSIO SALZBURG do-nated their annual collection of the Havest Festival 2014 for the suffering people in Rumbek Holy Family Parish. This food was distributed throughout six months in 2015 by the parish priest Fr. Marko Tong and Sr. Anna Wamalwa ESM.

Other small grants for humanitarian aid reached the Pastoral Department from COR UNUM through AMSUDAN and private donors. We also received a grant from the DIOCESE OF FORTALEZA / BRAZIL for the needy and forwarded it to the head of our Diocese.

CESAR gave a grant to the Pastoral Department at the end of 2015 for an agricul-tural project with rural women; the project is jet to be implemented in 2016.

4.6. Other activities

In addition to the above mentioned activities, the Pastoral Department in Bethany House is involved in a series of other activities for the benefit of either the Diocese itself or for our partners. Some examples:

4.6.1. Field visits

In February 2015 Mr. Simon Muchiri, by then newly employed Project Officer of the Pastoral Department, travelled to Rumbek for an assessment meeting with the Justice- and Peace-Desk and a potential Civil Peace Worker of AGEH Germany.

In February and March, Mr. Peter Kimosop, accountant of the department, trav-elled to Rumbek for the Capacity Building Course on Finance Management.

In March 2015, Ernst Ulz, Financial Coordinator of the department, came to Rum-bek for the conclusion of the above mentioned Capacity Building Course and the 14th DOR Assembly.

In April, Ernst Ulz travelled again to Rumbek, accompanying two delegates of CE-SAR for three weeks through the central and eastern part of the Diocese (Cuiebet, Rumbek, Langcok, Mapuordit, Thonaduel, Yirol and Bunagok.

Food distribution to the poor in Rumbek Holy Family Parish


Simon Muchiri and Ernst Ulz came again to Rumbek in August 2015, for the inau-guration of the solar system of Good News Radio and as assistants in the work-shops on Sports4Peace.

4.6.2. Fundraising trips and donor contacts

Personal contacts with donors and partners are crucial for the work of the Pastoral Department. These encounters happen either during fundraising trips of members of the department to the offices of the donors or during visits of the donors to Nai-robi or Rumbek. From October to December 2015, Ernst Ulz made and extensive fundraising tour through Germany, Austria and Italy, meeting

●Missio Munich, Germany●Missio Salzburg, Austria●MIVA / BBM Austria●DKA Austria●Missio Austria Headquarters in Vienna

●DKA Austria●Horizont3000, Austria●KOO (Koordinierungsstelle der Österreichischen Bischofskonferenz für inter-

nationale Entwicklung und Mission), Austria●The Bishop of Graz-Seckau, Dr. Wilhelm Krautwaschl, Austria● Caritas Steiermark, Austria●Missio Steiermark, Austria●Missio Kaernten, Austria●CESAR ONLUS, Italy●Pontifical Missionary Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Vatican●Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, Vatican●Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood, Vatican

The following partners visited us in 2015 either in Bethany House, Nairobi, or in South Sudan:

●Kindermissionswerk●Mensen et een Missie●Horizont3000●CESAR ONLUS

4.6.3. Service to Third Parties

Given our expertise of logistics many partners request Bethany House to help them in facilitating their flight bookings and visa-applications, organizing accom-modation and assisting in procurement. Space in containers coming from Europe was shared and tax exemptions were obtained not only for congregations working in the Diocese of Rumbek but also other South Sudanese Dioceses.

4.6.4. Finance Management, Accounting and Auditing

Integral part of the work of the Pastoral Department is to ensure, that any money entrusted to the department or pastoral staff in the field is used efficiently and according to the donors’ intention, and that all grants are accounted for in a trans-parent and comprehensible way. The department has a well trained and skilled accountant to make sure, that the finances are administered according to interna-tional accounting standards. The department undergoes an annual external audit, during which the books are checked thoroughly. The “Audited Financial Statement for the Year Ended 31 December 2015” was issued on April 13th, 2016. It is a public documents and can be consulted by any stakeholder.

A delegation of CESAR - Fondazione Mons. Cesare Mazzolari Onlus - to Thonaduel Pastoral Zone in April 2015


5. Financial Situation of the Department

5.1. Summary

This Annual Activity Report is a narrative description of the department’s activities, therefore we limit ourselves here to a short overview over the financial situation:

In total, the Pastoral Department raised and equivalent of 950.696 US-Dollars for the Diocese’s activities.

However, over 90 % (886,531 US-Dollars) of this money are strictly earmarked for well defined projects. Less than 10 % are so called “unrestricted” funds which can be used for staff costs, field allowances and other running cost (unless we man-aged to integrate such costs into projects).

The “unrestricted funds” have our particular attention because on them depend the whole ordinary running of our diocese. They are therefore an indicator for the soundness of the organization.

Notwithstanding all challenges, the Pastoral Department again was fortunate of having concluded the year 2015 with the a small surplus (of unrestricted funds) of 18.943 US-Dollars - plus pledges of around 40.000 US-Dollars of unrestricted funds for the beginning of 2016. With this, we hope the department will be able to run without major financial chal-lenges at least in the first third of the year 2016.

There are however serious risks for the near future.The major challange is, that the little funds raised locally though various in-come generating activities and donations, are not directed to-wards the running of the diocese (staff and other overhead costs) but rather into investments like constructions. It would however be much easier to raise funds from external donors for con-struction projects than for the running costs, which most do-nors consider the duty of the faithful. DOR needs therefore urgently to develop strategies towards more economic self-re-liance which involves the faithful and the efficient use of locally generated income.

5.2. Main sources of income

All the above narrated activities would have been impossible without the support from our esteemed donors, institutional or private. The following overview gives a - provisional - overview of our main supporters:

Aereal view of Lake State


Donor amount in US-Dollars

%

Kindermissionswerk 280,297.22$ 30.77%

Sudan Relief Fund 105,293.00$ 11.56%

Propagation of Faith 95,500.00$ 10.48%

Missio Aachen 75,913.76$ 8.33%

Archdiocese of Cologne 66,868.20$ 7.34%

DKA Austria 39,818.98$ 4.37%

CESAR 38,617.00$ 4.24%

Diocese Rottenburg-Stuttgart 34,894.46$ 3.83%

Comboni Cincinnati 27,443.00$ 3.01%

Gisela Remler 21,943.49$ 2.41%

Missio Steiermark 16,058.13$ 1.76%

Sorriso Per Il Sudan 14,955.00$ 1.64%

Diocese Suwon 14,000.00$ 1.54%

Caritas Steiermark 13,039.80$ 1.43%

Mensen met een Missie 12,525.07$ 1.37%

St. Peter Apostle 12,070.00$ 1.32%

Diocese Graz-Seckau 11,065.68$ 1.21%

Missio Salzburg 10,865.99$ 1.19%

Missio Kaernten (PIEL) 6,452.54$ 0.71%

Diocese Fortaleza /Brazil 6,000.00$ 0.66%

Fr.Martin Walchhofer 4,273.00$ 0.47%

Church In Need 3,143.00$ 0.34%

Total Income For Year 911,037.32$ 100.00%

DIOCESE OF RUMBEK - Pastoral Department

Main sources of income in 2015

Kindermissionswerk 31%

Sudan Relief Fund 12%

Propagation of Faith 10%

Missio Aachen 8%

Archdiocese of Cologne

7%

DKA Austria 4%

CESAR 4%

Diocese Rottenburg-

Stuttgart 4%

Comboni Cincinnati

3%

Gisela Remler 2%

Missio Steiermark 2%

Sorriso Per Il Sudan 2%

Diocese Suwon 2%

Main sources of Income Diocese of Rumbek - Pastoral Department

2015 Donor amount in US-Dollars

%

Kindermissionswerk 280,297.22$ 30.77%

Sudan Relief Fund 105,293.00$ 11.56%

Propagation of Faith 95,500.00$ 10.48%

Missio Aachen 75,913.76$ 8.33%

Archdiocese of Cologne 66,868.20$ 7.34%

DKA Austria 39,818.98$ 4.37%

CESAR 38,617.00$ 4.24%

Diocese Rottenburg-Stuttgart 34,894.46$ 3.83%

Comboni Cincinnati 27,443.00$ 3.01%

Gisela Remler 21,943.49$ 2.41%

Missio Steiermark 16,058.13$ 1.76%

Sorriso Per Il Sudan 14,955.00$ 1.64%

Diocese Suwon 14,000.00$ 1.54%

Caritas Steiermark 13,039.80$ 1.43%

Mensen met een Missie 12,525.07$ 1.37%

St. Peter Apostle 12,070.00$ 1.32%

Diocese Graz-Seckau 11,065.68$ 1.21%

Missio Salzburg 10,865.99$ 1.19%

Missio Kaernten (PIEL) 6,452.54$ 0.71%

Diocese Fortaleza /Brazil 6,000.00$ 0.66%

Fr.Martin Walchhofer 4,273.00$ 0.47%

Church In Need 3,143.00$ 0.34%

Total Income For Year 911,037.32$ 100.00%

DIOCESE OF RUMBEK - Pastoral Department

Main sources of income in 2015

Kindermissionswerk 31%

Sudan Relief Fund 12%

Propagation of Faith 10%

Missio Aachen 8%

Archdiocese of Cologne

7%

DKA Austria 4%

CESAR 4%

Diocese Rottenburg-

Stuttgart 4%

Comboni Cincinnati

3%

Gisela Remler 2%

Missio Steiermark 2%

Sorriso Per Il Sudan 2%

Diocese Suwon 2%

Main sources of Income Diocese of Rumbek - Pastoral Department

2015


6. A personal remarkDear esteemed donors, supporters and partners of the Pastoral Department, dear priests, religious and lay staff in the Diocese of Rumbek,

After almost six intense, enriching and fruitful years as the Financial Coordinator of the Pastoral Department, my time in the Diocese of Rumbek comes to an end. My community, the Focolare-Movement, has given me a new assignment in Tan-zania. I am very grateful for all I have learned in this period. I am so grateful that I had the chance to come to know and to love so many wonderful people who dedicate their whole lives in order to selflessly bring the joy and light of the Good News to the people of South Sudan. I have also experienced overwhelming sup-port throughout all these years by so many benefactors and partners.

I am glad to present to you my successor: Our Diocesan Coordinator Fr. John Mathiang Machol appointed Mr. Simon Chege Muchiri to take over from me with effect from May 1st, 2016. Simon is 43 years old, a Kenyan and married. He has been working as project officer in the Pastoral Department since January 2015. He obtained a Masters of Arts in Social Ministry (Social Development) with First Class Honors at Tangaza College, Catholic University of Eastern Africa in October 2015.

It is my joy to know that with Simon Muchiri a person has been chosen who is not only professionally well prepared and knows the Diocese and the work of the Pastoral Department already well, but who is also rooted in a profound Christian spirituality.

Simon is also in the lucky position to be working with an excellent and highly mo-tivated team. In this way I am confident that the transition will be very smooth.

It is my utmost desire that all of you may continue working for and assisting the Pastoral Department of the Diocese of Rumbek as generously as you have been doing until now and that you give full trust and support to Simon Muchiri as he ventures in this new responsibility for the good of the people of South Sudan.

Yours sincerely

Ernst Ulz

Outgoing Financial Coordinator of the Pastoral Department of DOR

pastoral department annual activity report

Documents