John Baptist Odama
John Baptist Odama (born 20 July 1947) is a Ugandan Roman Catholic priest, who serves as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu, in Uganda, since 2 January 1999.[1]
John Baptist Odama | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Gulu | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu |
| See | Gulu |
| In office | Since 1999 |
| Predecessor | Martin Luluga |
| Successor | Incumbent |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 14 December 1974 by Angelo Tarantino |
| Consecration | 26 May 1996 by Emmanuel Wamala |
| Rank | Bishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 June 1947 Riki-Oluko, Arua District |
| Previous post | Roman Catholic Bishop of Nebbi |
Background and priesthood
Odama was born in Riki-Oluko Village, in present-day Arua District, in the West Nile sub-region, in the Northern Region of Uganda on 29 June 1947. He was ordained priest in the Catholic church on 14 December 1974, at Arua Cathedral, by Bishop Angelo Tarantino, Bishop of Arua. He served as priest of Arua Diocese until 23 February 1996.[1]
As bishop
On 23 February 1996, Pope John Paul II appointed Odama bishop. He was consecrated Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nebbi, on 26 May 1996, serving in that capacity until 2 January 1999.[1]
On 2 January 1999, he was appointed Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu, being the first Catholic prelate to serve in that role; the Archdiocese having been created that same day.[1][2]
Odama was the chairman of the interfaith organisation known as Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI), from 2002 until 2010. The organisation was involved in peace-building efforts in Northern Uganda. As leader of the organisation, Odama met with Joseph Kony and other leaders of the Lord’s Resistance Army and mediated between them and the Government of Uganda. ARLPI received the Niwano Peace Prize in 2004. Odama was also involved in the 2006–08 Juba talks between the two parties in South Sudan.[3][4]
Archbishop Odama has been the chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference since 2010.[5]
Other responsibilities
As of January 2020, Archbishop Odama is the Chancellor of Uganda Martyrs University, a private university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church in Uganda and whose main campus is in Mpigi District, Uganda.[6]
See also
- Roman Catholicism in Uganda
- Uganda Martyrs
References
- David M. Cheney (11 February 2019). "Archbishop John Baptist Odama: Archbishop of Gulu, Uganda". Kansa City: Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- David M. Cheney (17 February 2019). "Profile of the Archdiocese of Gulu: Historical Summary". Kansas City: Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- Pax Christi International (2006). "About Acholi Religious Leaders' Peace Initiative". Brussels, Belgium: Pax Christi International. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- Mike Wooldridge (19 January 2011). "LRA: Ugandan Bishop Urges Negotiated Settlement". London: British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- Uganda Episcopal Conference (6 June 2010). "Uganda Episcopal Conference: About Uganda Catholic Secretariat". Uganda Episcopal Conference. Archived from the original (Archived from the original on 9 December 2013) on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- Mathias Mazinga (10 November 2018). "Uganda Martyrs University passes out 2040 graduates". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 7 January 2020.