Late Pastor Joseph Batali. (-)

The late Acting Diocesan Secretary of the Episcopal Diocese of Juba Joseph Batali, who died from an illness in Egypt on Friday, will be laid to rest in his home area of Morobo County.

Late Pastor Batali was also the Parish Priest of Saint Stephen Church Munuki suburb.

The Rev. Batali was receiving medical treatment in Khartoum before his subsequent transfer to Cairo when fighting erupted in the Sudan.

He succumbed to kidney failure on Friday in the Egypt capital, at the age of 67 years.

The Assistant Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Juba, Jackson Aripa said the deceased pastor had been battling the kidney problem for a long time.

“Rev. Jospeh Batali has been sick for a long time he was taken to Khartoum and because of the crisis in Khartoum he was brought back to Juba, and he was taken to Egypt,” Aripa narrated.

“So, in Egypt, he took three months under medication and the situation worsened. Actually, the cause of death is kidney failure. He struggled with the disease and the medication up to last Friday when he died.”

Batali’s remains were flown back to South Sudan on Monday.

Bishop Aripa said the Late’s body has been taken to Morobo County for burial.

He described the late priest as a hardworking and friendly person.

“Rev. Jospeh was a hardworking person, friendly to everyone, talented and loved. The church has lost a very important priest, not the church in the Episcopal church of Juba, but also the Episcopal church of South Sudan.”

Late Rev Joseph Batali is survived by 5 children.