A Sunday of Celebration

This, my third Sunday in Gulu, is a special day. Rachael, youngest daughter of Bishop Onono-Onweng, has received her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Makerere University. She is a 25 year-old single-mother, and one of only two women in a class of 50.

In St. Philip's Cathedral, only a few hundred meters from the bishop's compound and my house, we are baptizing her son, Omarra, and celebrating her success. The preparations of many weeks, involving family, diocesan staff, and the church community, are put in motion at sunrise, and the feeling is electric. Livestock are carted for the feast, dancers arrive en masse (photo), honorees and clergy are decked out in their very best.

Everyone has arrived at the Cathedral when the procession from the compound begins, fifty dancers with drums and ceremonial garb, singing, proudly presenting their kijiras (the high-pitched yells you'll hear in the video), leading the way for the bishop and his daughter, dressed in full academic regalia.

I've had the pleasure of Omarra's company many times in my three weeks in Uganda. His smile is infectious, loves ripping table cloths off, and loves throwing my dominoes against the floor and around the room! Today he is baptized, marked as Christ's own forever, but this is not quite enough to remove the look of terror and bewilderment the day has caused him so far. After celebrating the baptism with joyous song, we hear a synopsis of Rachel's life, a sermon from a newly-minted clergywoman sporting her cap and gown, and a series of prayers for their future success and our own confession and salvation. (I take this all on faith in my interpreter; my Acholi is not that good yet.)

It's now almost 1pm, and it's time for the reception, just down the road at Gulu High School. We're lead again by the dancers, celebrating, stomping, and ceremonially clearing the way with spears and shields for the honored guests. Now I talked to the Bishop beforehand, and while the invitation does say lunch comes early in the proceedings, I know otherwise. No one's getting a free lunch without paying their dues first! But what a treat: so many great performances by the drummers and dancers, a comedy act, speeches by important people from Rachel's past (again, I can only assume they were amazing).

It was a gratifying experience and a long day. I've asked mom and dad to take notes for my Welcome Home Celebration. We'll see.

This is my first post since arriving in Gulu. I'll try to fill in the blanks soon on how I'm acclamating and what I hope for in the coming months. Thanks for listening.