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Erussi, where a plague led to the death of hundreds
Erussi Catholic Church was started by the missionaries but later abandoned due to illnessess that struck the area, killing many residents. Photo by Felix Warom.
What you need to know:
In 1917, some missionaries travelled to Arua in a bid to spread the Gospel. They were however met with disease and unfavourable weather conditions that put a halt to their work for years.
Many people in rural areas still think that when disease strikes, it is an act of witchcraft. This belief in many cases has been present from long ago. The case is not any different for the people of Erussi Parish.
One of the things this place is famous for (since pre independence) is the plague outbreaks and an unknown illness that struck it in the early 20th Century .
The unknown illness and plague was allegedly transmitted by Indian coolies working on the Pakwach Railway to Erussi.
Fr Vignato, the superior of all the Comboni missionaries in Uganda who had settled in Erussi from Adjumani along with other missionaries abandoned the place.
It is said that Fr Vignato took the steamer on November 10, 1916 to join other missionaries in Omach.
When he arrived, word was sent to the district commissioner of Arua, Bwana Gweno who then gave him permission to cross the Nile.
After two days, he left Pangal, where the commissioner was based and crossed the Nile in search of a suitable place for evangelisation. He visited Panyango and Padyere before crossing Namrwodo to get to Madi-Okollo.
He later went back to Angal to ask the District Commissioner to help him mobilise masses.
Silvano Ogen, a 79-year-old resident of Erussi said the strange disease made it difficult for people from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo to join their fellow Christians in Erussi.
“People feared to come from Zaire (now DRC) to get the word of God. This disaster let the missionaries down.
By this time, Angal had already attracted the attention of Fr Vignato because of the high number of Christian converts but the British officer convinced him to opt for Erussi, which he said was ideal for a mission as well as a resting place.
The plague was spread to Panyimur, West Nile by travellers in a government steamer. It is then that the missionaries started getting difficulties in their work.
Gatherings were banned in order to contain the spread of the plague. The missionaries therefore had to remain indoors for several days.
In June 1917, there was an outbreak of cerebral meningitis which was easily spread because of the war.
The following months (July and August) saw hundreds of young people losing their lives to the disease.
Scarcity of food made things worse. So catechumens and others around the mission were sent home and the missionaries left helpless. On Chief Hamisi’s advice, they chose Angal, a site that was to be home of the new mission about 25 kilometres on the South-east of Erussi.
They all tried hard to get the mission going, but all sorts of problems cropped up and no catechumens from Padyere or Jonam were willing to go to Erussi.
Those who were there were falling sick with pneumonia and had to be sent home. In addition to that, the weather was so bad that they could not move about. Many died too.
Of the 55 adults baptised in 1917, 30, at Erussi, died within the same year.
When Fr. Vignato went to Erussi in August, he realised that he had made a mistake when he accepted the advice of the British Commissioner. He apologised to the fathers and told them to look for a more suitable place.
The first fathers who reached Angal were Audisio and Santambrogio.
These two fathers came down from Erussi, explored all around Padyere and finally, following the advice of Stanislao Onegi, catechist at Padel, decided in favour of the present place of Angal, where the missionaries were warmly welcomed by mukungu Edward Onoyo.
The mission at Erussi, popularly known as “Italia”, remained, as a chapel for many years until it became a parish in 1964. In addition to the catechists and leading Catholics already mentioned, others who cooperated with the missionaries in those early and difficult years were Ferdinando Odongo, Martino Olore, Desiderio Moto, Joseph Openji, Cecilia Mono, Helena Mono, Cecilia Katoko, and Romano Akwanya.
Among the Alur the calamities were attributed often to an old man or to an old woman called jajok (with or wizard). Sometimes these people were burnt alive the people.
When the missionaries arrived there, they tried to put an end to that practice. They defended those old people and opened a house for them, in the mission.
The new Bishop for Arua diocese, Rt Rev. Angelo Tarantino (now RIP) saw the necessity to open new missions as a means for consolidating the faith of the faithful. The Christians were increasing every year.
“By the bishop’s decree dated 1st February 1961, the church of Erussi dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima has been erected into a parish church, with the territory detached from Angal parish. The Rev. Fr Aldo Codognola has been appointed parish priest and Fr. Mecerleen as his curate,” the Bishop wrote.
The Erussi Parish has a Catholic poulation of about 8,000.
On Christmas Day, in 1918, 20 baptisms were administered among the catechumens from Erussi, who came down with the Fathers. After so much suffering, there were fruits at the end of the day. From the baptismal register in 1918, Angal had 249 Christians, 70 catechumens in the mission, 18 catechists, 6 school-chapels with 234 pupils, 75 Christians in mission.
But the joy turned soon in sorrow: smallpox attacked and killed many people.
The New Year started with starvation.
Some people took refuge in Angal Parish which was opened in December 1917.
In 1919 Father Audisio was transferred from Angal to Gulu to develop the school for catechists-teachers. Now, the fruits of missionaries is being reaped among the Christians in Erussi under Nebbi Catholic Diocese.
