The priests and members of St. Patrick Catholic Parish in Madera, Soroti Diocese, have conducted special prayers and rituals seeking divine intervention following the theft of church properties, particularly two cows worth over Shs2 million. The stolen cattle were offerings meant for the construction of a Shs8.2 billion Regina Caeli church building in Aminit.
Quoting scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy and Zachariah, Parish Priest Fr. Henry Agit, along with the Christian community, laid curses upon the unidentified thieves who broke into the church Kraal and stole the donated cows. The ritual took place after unsuccessful attempts to recover the cattle peacefully.
Fr. Agit chanted, “This is the curse which is to go forth over the whole earth… I will send forth, says the Lord of hosts, and shall come into the house of the thief. Every timber or stone must be burnt in a thief’s house.”
In an interview, Fr. Agit expressed frustration with the recurrent theft of church properties, including livestock, crops, and other valuables. He emphasized that the special prayers were a call for divine justice to vindicate the parish, facing numerous challenges during his administration.
The parish had previously experienced theft, with altar chairs stolen in 2005. Fr. Agit noted that despite warnings and preaching against theft and evil deeds, the pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
The curse laid upon the thieves is expected to be lifted if the culprits come forward and confess their actions. However, Fr. Agit warned that failure to do so would result in suffering under the curse for generations.
Members of the parish expressed their justifiable anger at the thieves, emphasizing the societal impact of their actions. The choir master, Mr. Julius Okima, condemned the theft, stating that the thieves were undermining Bishop Eciru’s efforts to raise resources for church construction.
While the police spokesperson in the East Kyoga region, Mr. John Tukei, had not received information about the theft at the time of the report, the parish community stands firm in seeking divine justice and condemning the recurring incidents of theft.
