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| Youth Missionary George Emmanuel Oryem. |
George Emmanuel OryemI was born on 1 January 1995 in Mulutty, Juba, South Sudan and baptized in St. Bakhita Catholic Church in 1998. His family moved to Torit in 2000 where George entered the sacramental formation program.
Beginning in 2002 fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and the Sudan Armed Forces took place near Torit, so George and his family fled to Juba on foot. It took them an entire week to make the journey.
In 2004 George’s faith and love for the Word of God began to reawaken, and he entered the sacramental formation program at St. Augustine’s Church. At first he was compelled by his father to enter, but eventually he decided for himself to give his life and heart to Jesus Christ.
In 2005 George’s father and mother were once more transferred to Torit by the government. Again he resumed his catechism classes, this time in English instead of his tribal language of Acholi, and finally received his First Holy Communion, faithfully attending Sunday Mass. George began to know Jesus better, and His words such as: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 19:14) moved him deeply.
As George approached adolescence, he entered a time of turbulence. Church was no longer attractive to him, he had disagreements with his family and he began to be drawn into destructive activities by questionable “friends.” He realized his life was headed in the wrong direction and decided to make a break and join the local group of Scouts, in which he participated for a year. His father once again intervened, asking George to return to Church. George made a half hearted attempt, but would still sometimes skip Mass. His father realized what was happening and confronted George, asking him to think seriously about what he was doing with his life. Despite the obstacles, it became an occasion of grace. George prayed to God for help, saying:
“Father in heaven, I ask you Lord to give me Jesus’ life. I know that you can give me the power to believe in Christ and to live His life. You have the power to do more than I ask. I want you to change my life and to start a new life. I praise you through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
George told his father that he wanted to follow Jesus; his father said that was good, but that it was also necessary to be part of the Church. He took George to register, telling him that from that day on he wanted him to work in the Church and serve Christ. George then made the decision to become an altar server at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. He was Confirmed on New Year’s Day, 2010. Those who prepared him taught George new ways to work in the Church and to serve Christ. He was invited to attend a workshop on evangelization to learn more about living and spreading the faith. George participated, but was still looking for something more.
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| George at prayer in the Mercy House Chapel. |
It was then that he met the St. Daniel Comboni Missionary Youth group. One of the members, Samuel Oryem, told him that it was good to be a missionary because you preach the Good News and teach people how to follow Jesus Christ. Shortly thereafter George met a cheerful white missionary priest at morning Mass. He asked George his name, and introduced himself as Fr. Herald from the US. The next day George, and his friends Simon and Solomon went to Fr. Herald and told him they wanted to join the St. Daniel Comboni Missionary Youth. Fr. Herald explained the activities that take place on different days at the House of Mercy in the afternoon. George told his parents what he had done; they were happy and proud and encouraged him to continue.
April 11 of this year was a significant day for George. His father explained to him the importance of helping with the work at home and reminded him again about the importance of remaining in the Church. Late that afternoon on his way to the hospital George’s father was hit by a motorcycle and died. The family buried him in their home village. His father’s example and final words left an unforgettable impression on George, who states: “I will always remember what my father told me: to trust in Jesus’ name if you are in danger, to pray and ask for help. I have already experienced it in my own life.”
This is his prayer: “Let God give my father a share of eternal life with the angels and saints.”
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1 comment:
Hello Father, please tell (remind) George he has people all around the world praying for him and hoping for his success. As Our Lord said very clearly, "These are My brothers and sisters..." and we are all part of the same family. As always, thank you so much for the updates!
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