About our cathedral
The Holy Family Cathedral of Rumbek is the Mother Church of the diocese. Its history has been ravaged by strife. In 1965 Arab soldiers killed the Vicar General, Fr. Ark-Angelo Ali during a raid.
Subsequently the cathedral was burned down. In 1972 an Apostolic Delegate was able to re-open the Mission but thereafter the Bishop of Rumbek was forced to lead the Diocese from Kenya. By 1997 the entire compound and most of the cathedral had been destroyed; all that remained was a part of the round wall and the wall behind the altar with its painting of the holy family. Little by little, the mission and its cathedral was rebuilt and renovations to the cathedral still continue. Sadly, cathedral is far too small to accommodate the hundreds of people who currently flock to attend mass. Consequently, a multi-purpose shelter has been built, which serves both to provide shelter for those who cannot fit into the cathedral, and as an arena for religious and community events.
