Catholic faithful gather at the mausoleum in Torit on Thursday, January 22, to commemorate the 59th anniversary of Father Saturnino Ohure Hilangi. The late revolutionary priest is revered for his role in South Sudan’s liberation struggle. (Photo: Jenifer Nyaliny)

TORIT, Eastern Equatoria State (Eye Radio) – Catholic clergy, government officials, and hundreds of citizens converged on the Father Saturnino Ohure mausoleum today, Thursday, January 22, to mark 59 years since the death of the iconic revolutionary priest.

Organized by the Catholic Diocese of Torit in collaboration with St. Charles Lwanga Chapel–Juba, solemn processions moved through Eastern Equatoria State today, Thursday, January 22, toward the mausoleum of Father Saturnino Ohure.

The event marks 59 years since the martyrdom of the iconic priest, who famously transitioned from the pulpit to the halls of Parliament to champion Southern rights.

A transformative figure in South Sudan’s history, Father Saturnino successfully bridged the gap between religious leadership and political advocacy. As a co-founder of the Southern Sudan Federal Party and a former member of the Khartoum Parliament, he is revered today as the visionary architect who laid the intellectual and spiritual foundations for the nation’s journey toward independence.

Born around 1921 in Loronyo village, Fr. Saturnino was ordained in 1946, becoming one of the first Lotuko sons to enter the Catholic priesthood. However, as marginalization intensified in the 1950s, he recognized that his pastoral mission was inseparable from the political struggle of his people, eventually sacrificing his life for the cause of freedom.

In 1957, Fr. Saturnino co-founded the Southern Sudan Federal Party (SSFP). By 1958, he was elected to represent the Torit constituency in the Constituent Assembly in Khartoum. There, he became the most articulate defender of federalism, famously warning the northern-dominated administration that the systematic exclusion of the South would lead to inevitable conflict.

When a military coup in late 1958 shuttered parliament and intensified repression, Fr. Saturnino was forced into exile in 1961. Even from abroad, his commitment never wavered.

Alongside leaders like Joseph Oduho and William Deng, he helped form the Sudan African Closed Districts National Union (SACDNU) to mobilize international support.

Fr. Saturnino’s legacy is uniquely tied to the Anya-Nya armed resistance. He was not merely a spiritual guide to the fighters; he was a strategic architect of the movement, assisting in fundraising and procurement. For many, he provided the moral and spiritual justification for the struggle for dignity and freedom.

His life was tragically cut short on January 22, 1967, when he was shot and killed by a Ugandan soldier near Kitgum while on a mission for the resistance.

For 42 years, Fr. Saturnino lay buried in Uganda. It was not until January 2009 that his remains were repatriated to Torit in a historic act of national remembrance. Today, Thursday, January 22, his mausoleum in Torit town serves as a site of pilgrimage and a monument to the price of liberty.

“His unwavering dedication helped lay the groundwork for the eventual independence of South Sudan. His mausoleum stands as an enduring reminder to future generations of the price paid for freedom.”