Bishop Paride Taban, the first Catholic Bishop of Torit Diocese in South Sudan has been reported dead.
The Bishop is said to have died on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 in Nairobi.
A statement by the Bishops Conference of Sudan and South Suden said the late Bishop Taban has been ill for sometime.
He died at age 87.
“He has been battling illness for some time, and on the Solemnity of All the Saints, the Good Shepherd called him home. The news is unexpected, and we will provide updates on future arrangements,” the statement said.
Bishop Taban, born in Katire in 1936, was ordained as a Priest in May 1964. In January 1980, he assumed the role of Auxiliary Bishop of Juba Archdiocese and was assigned the Titular See of Tadamata. In July 1983, he was appointed as the first Bishop of Torit.
Following two decades of priestly service in the war-torn country, the South Sudanese Clergy was forced to flee to Uganda in 1984, then to Kenya, and later to the Central African Republic (CAR). He returned to South Sudan after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005.
In 2004, Bishop Taban retired from the administration of Torit Diocese and dedicated his efforts to completing the establishment of the Holy Trinity Peace Village in Kuron, an initiative he had initiated in 2000.
