“At the CCR Women’s Conference in Lira Diocese, Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok inspired hundreds of women with a powerful message: families rooted in God’s love are the foundation of faith, unity, and enduring joy.”
By Flavia Oyuu, Communications Office, Lira Diocese
The Bishop of Lira Diocese, Rt. Rev. Sanctus Lino Wanok, has urged families to build their lives on truth, loyalty, and enduring love, drawing inspiration from the biblical story of Ruth.
Preaching at the opening Mass of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) Women’s Conference, hosted at Asili Girls Vocational Secondary School in Amuca, Bishop Wanok reflected on this year’s theme: “In Christ we are a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The four-day gathering, running from August 21–25, has drawn women from across the diocese in a celebration of faith, unity, and renewal.
The Message of Ruth: Love Beyond Boundaries
In his homily, Bishop Wanok pointed to Ruth’s famous words to Naomi—“Where you go I will go, your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God”—as a powerful reminder of love that transcends blood, culture, or background.
“Ruth teaches us that true love is faithful, sacrificial, and rooted in God,” he said. “Marriage and family are not simply about two individuals. They are a covenant journey of faith, where love remains steadfast even through trials and hardships.”
He noted that, just like Ruth left her homeland to embrace Naomi’s people, women today often leave their families to begin new lives with their husbands. This calling, he said, should be lived out with courage and anchored in God’s love so that it can endure every storm.
Women as Pillars of Faith
Turning to the women gathered, Bishop Wanok praised their vital role in sustaining homes, communities, and the Church through prayer, sacrifice, and forgiveness.
“Women carry the burden of unity in their homes,” he said. “They are often the first to forgive, the first to pray, and the first to hold the family together. You are the pillars of faith in our community.”
He encouraged couples present at the conference to bear witness to faithful love by ensuring equality, dialogue, and forgiveness in their homes, reminding them that families are “the first and most important Synodal Church,” where communion and mission begin.
A Call to Build Families as Schools of Love
In his opening address, Bishop Wanok reminded participants that family unity is not only a private matter but also a social, cultural, and even political treasure.
“Love cannot remain hidden in the heart—it must reach out,” he said. “From the home, it grows into schools, workplaces, and society until it builds a nation. Families rooted in God’s love become the foundation of a just and peaceful community.”
He emphasized three practical pillars for strengthening family life:
Prayer and Scripture at the heart of the home, dialogue and forgiveness, as a way to resolve conflicts peacefully, example and solidarity, where parents model love, honesty, and faith for their children, while families support each other in times of sickness, poverty, or conflict.
“The family,” he concluded, “is a treasure. When it is built on love, it becomes the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.”
A Spirit-Filled Gathering
The conference, open to all faithful at a facilitation fee of just 10,000 shillings, is designed to be a spiritually enriching and transformational encounter. Guest speakers include Silvie and Gaetana from the House of the Open Door Community in the United Kingdom, alongside facilitators such as Rev. Fr. Morris Otyang, the diocesan CCR Spiritual Director, and other facilitators from Emmaus Center Katikamu.
With liturgies, praise, and teachings filling the program, this gathering promises to leave the women of Lira renewed in spirit, strengthened in their vocation, and ready to carry the Bishop’s message of faithful love back into their families and communities.
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” — Colossians 3:14
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