Meet the ‘Christ’ of Arua

Regardless of the beatings and torture he has been going through every Good Friday for the past four years as he acts as Jesus Christ in the way of the cross, portraying his suffering for human sins, Patrick Amone is happy that his faith keeps growing every year.

“Every year, I am filled with the Holy Spirit whenever I act as Jesus Christ during the way of cross. This is what has endeared me to the role for the past four years,” Amone says.
The 35-year-old is a devoted Christian and loves preaching the Gospel to other Christians. “Many people find it difficult to understand the sufferings and torture Jesus Christ went through for our sins and often time forget it, however much the Bible is preached to them,’’ he says adding that acting as Jesus Christ has become part of him that he cannot imagine a year that he does not get to do it.

The pain
Amone says that although a number of people think that he does not feel pain when he is beaten, he is human and feels pain. He adds that sometimes he gets wounds all over his body that at times land him in hospital. However, he says, the love to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ through drama has encouraged him to endure the painful experience knowing that his reward is in heaven.
“I nurse my wounds alone after the Good Friday drama but every time I act I feel growth in faith and many blessings have been coming my way,” he says.

Education
A resident of Negri Village in Gulu Municipality, Amone did not study beyond Primary Seven due to financial challenges.
“I am the last born in a family of 12 and I dropped out of school due to financial constraints after finishing my Primary Leaving Examination at Gulu Primary School in 2001,” Amone says.
He, however, joined driving school as the next option, although he did not practice much as a driver but rather joined Comboni Missionary Animation Centre as a poultry keeper.

Why act?
Amone says he started acting as Jesus Christ in 2015 after undergoing a course called Life in Spirit, which made him ask God to grant him the will to serve him daily.
“I had always wanted the best means to deliver the Gospel of Jesus Christ, something that would have a lasting memory in the life of Christian and that moment came in 2015 after the six month training in Life in Spirit,” he says.

Achievements
Amone says acting as Jesus Christ has won him a lot of favour from different people adding that besides wedding in church last December, his two children have since been going to decent schools due to people’s goodwill.
“Following my devoted love for Christ, my children have been given sponsorship to study to any level of their choice something I believe came because of my love to preach the gospel,” says Amone. He adds that the idea of acting during Good Friday has brought love, peace and unity among believers whether they are Catholic, Anglican or Orthodox.

Hurdles
Amone says he usually suffers from wounds and back pain after the Way of the Cross and treatment sometimes ends up costing more than he can afford. “The doctors always recommend a thorough checkup after the beatings and kicking that I receive but due to financial constraints, I nurse the wounds from home,” he says.

Fred Opira, a choir leader at St Daniel Comboni Church in Lacor says Amone’s passion to serve God through his acting talent is exceptional. “Very few people would ever want to endure the beating and torture one goes through while acting as Jesus Christ but every year, he comes out willing to act and this as Christians we honour it with gratitude,” Opira says.

Voice
Fred Opira, a choir leader at St Daniel Comboni Chruch in Lacor
“Very few people would ever want to endure the beating and torture one goes through while acting as Jesus Christ but every year, he comes out willing to act and this as Christians we honour it with gratitude.”

Why we celebrate Easter Monday

Ash Wednesday arrives and Churches are packed. It is not even a holy day of obligation, but people who are seldom seen in church show up. There are Stations of the Cross and Lenten missions and forty days’ worth of spiritual exercises, penance, and focus on our Lord’s suffering.
Saying those words, Alleluia, He is risen is like drinking a glass of cold water after being out in the desert all day. Lent is over and it is now time to celebrate the great joy of Easter.

At the Easter Vigil, the Exultet is sung as Mass begins in darkness, illumined only by candles throughout the church. The Exultet is a beautiful hymn of rejoicing in Christ’s triumph over sin and death.
Then Easter Sunday rolls around. The following day; Easter Monday is a public holiday but when asked why the day is celebrated not many Christians can trace its roots.
Rev Sr Mildrad Abitegeka of Bakateyemba’s home Nalukolongo says Easter is not a single day but a season of 50 days. The Easter octave has eight days of celebrations, which start on Easter Sunday followed by 42 days of rejoicing concluded on the day of Pentecost.

After forty days of preparation and Lent, and the Easter Triduum which lasts for three days, she mentions that Easter is the feast of feasts and Easter Sunday is just the first day of the Easter Octave.
“Just like Easter Sunday, other than being a public holiday, Easter Monday makes the eight-day festal period, in which we continue to celebrate the momentous conclusion to the Paschal mystery. She says the eight days also end with the second Sunday of Easter which is the Divine Mercy Sunday.

Innocent Ayembare, an orthodox Christian, says Easter Monday is the second day of Bright Week in the Orthodox church. He mentions that for Orthodox Christians, Easter Sunday starts what is known as Bright Week or Renewal week, which symbolises the new light that came forth in our lives from the resurrection of Jesus and the renewed opportunity to a fruitful life with Christ.
The second day of Bright Week is Easter Monday. It is a national holiday in many Orthodox Christian countries and serves not only to continue the celebrations of Easter Sunday but also to slowly re-enter the rhythm of work and studies.

“Easter Monday also prepares one for the decent of the Holy Spirit that takes place after 50 days,” he says, adding that the Sunday after Easter, the Orthodox celebrate the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which marks the victory of good over evil and life over death.

Additional reporting by Phionah Nassanga

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