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    Tonj

    (Opened 1982, Closed 1986, Reopened 2000) 2008

    Sacred Heart

    The first group of Salesians reached Southern Sudan on the 15th January 1981. They were assigned to Maridi since Bishop Gabriel Duatuka Wako of Rumbek Diocese wanted them to care for the Azante tribe living along the borders of congo and Zaire (today’s Democratic Republic of Congo). Tonj parish had several educational institutions and so while taking care of te pastoral work they were also given charge of the schools in the diocese and one of them taught in the teachers’ training college. Our entire work was youth focused since Juba was the hub of several educational institutions. In 1983 the Salesian sisters came in to work along with the Salesians. However they moved to Wau and Juba because Tonj became the centre of civil war and tension was high due to SPLA/M mobilization and guerilla attacks. In 1988 the Salesians were dispersed to Wau and Khartoum while one of them was taken captive and kept under detention until he was freed in Ethiopia through the intervention of the Holy See.

    Tonj mission remained a haven for 300 or more lepers until 1999 with occasional visits by priests from Wau or Marialou. In 1999 at the invitation of Mgr.Caesar Mazzolari the Salesians returned to Tonj on the 3rd August 1999. This time a Salesian Brother who was a medical Doctor from Korea joined the Tonj mission. Later on he went to complete his theological studies and joined our province as a priest. But life was continually interrupted by falling bombs and exploding shells and the presence of Murahallin (mounted horse back raiders). Tonj remained a ghost town full of internally displaced people living in misery, fear, hunger, ill fed and ill clad till 2003. But with the signing of peace agreement between the Islamist North and the Christian and Animist south there is a lot of change. 

    Activities

    Parish & Sub-stations, Festive Oratory, Primary School, Secondary school, Radio, Hospital, Mobile clinic, Leprosarium

    Contact

    C/o Salesians of Don Bosco

    P.O. Box 62322 00200 City Square Nairobi – Kenya

    Phones:

    Emails:

    salesians.donbosco-tonj@outlook.com

    Salesians

    Fr. Joseph Le Hung: Rec. + Pp. Sec. Sch.

    Fr. Tamil Selvan: VR. Radio, + YC

    Fr. James Pullickal: Parish Priest

    Cl. Albert Leibor Derache: PT (SS)

    Cl. Jada Gabriel Laku Linus: PT (PS)

    Activities