Arua Diocese

Rev.Fr.Dr.Stephen Candia is joined by family, friends and christians of Ezoo to bid Farewell to late Father Muzee Aliyo Raphael.

Hundreds of mourners from Arua Diocese and outside the West Nile region thronged Rev.Fr.Dr.Stephen Candia's family home in Ora Constituency, Zombo District to pay their last respect to their late father Muzee Aliyo Raphael. The Bishop of Arua Diocese, Rt.Rev.Sabino Ocan Odoki who was the main celebrant at the requiem mass told mourners to emulate the good deeds of Muzee Raphael Aliyo. Bishop praised Muzee Aliyo's generosity towards the church_ offering two of his precious children Rev. Fr. Stephen Candia who now serves at the administration of Ggaba Major Seminary in Kampala and Rev.Sr.Regina who is a religious sister. Muzee Aliyo, who lived to the age of 96, was renowned for his commitment to the church, education and environmental conservation as reflected in his life history.

Bishop Sabino extended his condolences to the bereaved family, encouraging them to take on the responsibilities that Muzee Raphael had shouldered. He also urged mourners to embrace education, a value cherished deeply by Muzee Raphael, which had led to the education of Rev.Fr.Dr.Candia and his siblings. In a stirring reflection on the transformative power of education, Bishop Sabino shared a compelling story from his early priesthood serving a developing community where clean water was scarce, he recalled the challenges he faced due to the community being uneducated.."At that time, the first thing I identified was that the water source was not clean and contaminated, even frogs lived in the same water, with algae everywhere," Bishop Sabino recounted.

Determined to make a difference, he sought assistance from friends in Germany and drilled a borehole, providing clean water to the community. Many still doubted the necessity, citing that even their ancestors drank from their same old stream. Undeterred, He had to acquire a microscope to convince the people, urging residents and the children to bring water samples from their different homes and observe the samples for themselves through the lens of the microscope. Upon seeing worms in the water, they dismissed it, saying the worms are probably in the machine. He continued with the children telling them to remove the samples and place them back and every time they would place it back they would see the worms. And the children later became the educators of their parents. Within three years, a community once that was hesitant to embrace borehole water, marked a rapid shift toward improved health and cleanliness. Bishop Sabino underscored that the situation would not have happened if the community had learnt residents.

Bishop urged continued dedication to Muzee Aliyo's legacy of faith, service, and environmental stewardship. He also announced plans to establish a sub-parish at Ezoo Eucharistic Center, pending the completion of its roofing, as a testament to the community's long standing desire for spiritual growth.