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'''Brief profile of the Late Bishop Silvanus Goi Wani, the former Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church of Uganda between 1977 and 1983 ''' Bishop Silvanus Goi Wani was born during the First World War in July 1916 at Nyangilia, Koboko District in the West Nile Region of Uganda.

Formal education, vocational training and preparation for Priesthood: The Late Bishop Silvanus started his education in a sub-grade school between 1924 and 1927 at Nyangilia, Koboko District. In 1928, he came to join his elder brother Semi Zango Wani in Arua and continued in Elementary Vernacular Primary School 1928 to 1930 at Mvara, Arua town. He was baptised on July 9th 1931 at Nyangilia Church. Silvanus was selected along with a few others to attend an up-graders' training for teachers at Kampala Normal School, Makerere between 1933 and 1935, attaining a Teachers' Certificate 'Grade A'. He was confirmed on September 20th 1935 at Emmanuel Church in Mvara, Arua.

'''Marriage ''': Silvanus wedded the Late Penina Yopa Wani on June 20th at Emmanuel Church, Mvara. Mrs Wani was also trained as a Vernacular teacher who taught mainly girls. Together they had eight sons and two daughters. Five of the sons (David, Paul, Ben, Timothy and Godfrey) passed on as well as the two daughters (Elizabeth and Grace). They are currently survived by three sons (Peter, John and Patrick). Peter and John who are twins live in Kampala, Uganda while Patrick has lived in the USA since 1982 and has not returned to Uganda since.

Teaching Career: Silvanus taught pupils at Mvara Elementary Vernacular Primary School - 1936 to 1937. He then worked as a Tutor, teaching students preparing for the Grade 'C' Teachers' qualification between 1938 and 1939. At some point, Silvanus was chosen to work as a Teacher in a Church establishment in the Congo at a place called Adibu under the African Inland Mission (AIM) that had earlier established missionary work in West Nile Uganda on behalf of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) that operated in the rest of Uganda.

Theological training and ordination: Silvanus attended Buwalasi Theological College in present-day Sironko District, Eastern Uganda 1940 to 1942. He was ordained as Deacon March 1943, then as Priest together with the Late Venerable Archdeacon John Dronyi on March 5, 1944; the first two Deacons and Priests ever in the then West Nile District of Uganda. Silvanus was then posted to start a new Parish Church at Wandi in Terego as a Curate, under the supervision of Reverend E.A. Vollor one of the first missionaries in West Nile, who later retired as Senior Archdeacon of the region.

Army career and chaplaincy: After teaching for 3 years, Silvanus was drafted into the King's African Rifles (K.A.R.) and appointed an Army Chaplain serving in Kenya, Somaliland and Ethiopia: including service in Burma during and after the 2nd World War between 1944 and 1946. After the 2nd World War, Silvanus returned home and became a Parish Priest at Mvara between 1947 and 1950. He was then transferred to work in Koboko as Parish Priest in 1951 covering five counties (now some for the present Districts of the West Nile Region - Koboko, Yumbe, Maracha, Moyo and Adjumani).

Further self-motivated adult education: Silvanus enrolled with the British Tutorial College then based in South Africa and later Nairobi, for a correspondence course, as a private external student in the period 1947 to 1950. He studied English, Mathematics and Geography, attaining the equivalent of an 'Ordinary' level Certificate of Education. Silvanus was assisted in pursuing the courses by the Reverend Canon Seton MacLure and Ms Margaret Lloyd, who were among the few missionaries who served for a long time in West Nile, well into the post-independence period of Uganda.

Further theological training and ministry: Silvanus attended Oakhill Theological College London for an advanced Certificate in Theology and an overseas parish experience in the United Kingdom between 1955 and 1956. On his return from England, Silvanus continued as Parish Priest in Koboko with additional responsibilities as Rural Dean in other West Nile Counties between 1956 and 1960. While working in Gulu, he was sent to study 'Christianity and Islam at St. George's College, Jerusalem in the Jordan region between 1963 and 1964.

Key appointments and positions held in the Anglican Church of Uganda In 1960, Silvanus was appointed the Diocesan Secretary and Treasurer of Northern Uganda Diocese in Gulu, working under Bishop Keith Russell. In June 1964, he was appointed and consecrated by Archbishop Leslie Brown as Assistant Bishop Northern Uganda Diocese. Not long after that, he was appointed full Bishop of Northern Uganda Diocese (comprised of Acholi, Lango, Madi and West Nile Districts with oversight over Karamoja region). Thus Silvanus became the first African/Ugandan Bishop of Northern Uganda Anglican Diocese, succeeding the Right Reverend Keith Russell. In 1969, when the Madi and West Nile region was carved out as a separate Diocese from the rest of the Northern region, Bishop Silvanus Wani became the first Bishop of Madi and West Nile Diocese. During the period 1964 and 1978, Bishop Silvanus was appointed and served as Chaplain General of the Uganda Armed Forces (Army, Police and Prisons) taking over from the Most Reverend Dr. Leslie Brown who had retired as expatriate Archbishop of Uganda. That appointment was part of the process of 'Ugandanising' the Church, on the basis of his service as a non-commissioned officer in the King's African Rifles during the war; with part-time duties as Chaplain for the Anglicans in the Armed Forces (His counterpart for the Catholics was Bishop Cyprian Kihangire). Silvanus served as the Bishop of Madi and West Nile Diocese until 1977. Earlier on in 1974, he was elected by the House of Bishops as Dean (the most senior Bishop) of the Province of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga Zaire up to March 1977 while serving under the Late Archbishop Janani Luwum (now St. Janani Luwum).

In April 1977, Bishop Silvanus Goi Wani was elected by the House of Bishops as Archbishop of the Province of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga Zaire after the Martyrdom of Archbishop Janani Luwum in February 1977 during the regime of President Idi Amin.

Bishop Silvanus Goi Wani was enthroned as Archbishop on May 15th 1977 at Namirembe Cathedral. In June 1977, he presided over the Centenary (1877 - 1977) Celebrations of the Anglican Church in Uganda.

On May 25th 1982 Archbishop Silvanus Wani's wife Mrs Penina Yopa Wani died suddenly at the Archbishop's residence just before Archbishop Wani was due to travel to the United Kingdom to join other Anglican Primates who had been invited to the occasion of the then reigning Pope's visit to that country. Mrs Penina Yopa Wani was laid to rest at the Namirembe Cathedral Cemetery since the war raging in the 'Luweero Triangle' at that time could not allow safe travel to Arua. In 1983, Archbishop Silvanus Wani met and wedded Susan Wani.

Archbishop Silvanus Wani served the Province of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga Zaire until 10th May 1980 when the new Province of the Francophone countries - Rwanda, Burundi and Boga Zaire (Congo) was created. Thus he then served as Archbishop of the Province of Uganda and Bishop of Kampala until December 1983 when he retired from office on health and age grounds. He then retired to his home in Mvara, Arua District effective 1st January 1984 and thereafter he led a quiet pastoral life, often helping out in various Churches in the Diocese of Madi and West Nile on the behest of the Diocesan Bishop.

Date of Death: Bishop Silvanus Goi Wani died on 7th February 1998 at his home in Mvara, Arua District. He is survived by his Widow Canon Susan Wani who lives in Mvara, Arua Municipality.

Sources: 1. Snape, Michael (2017) 'War and peace.', in The Oxford history of Anglicanism, volume IV. Global Western Anglicanism, c.1910-present. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 214-242. 2. Fr. Toni La Salandra, (undated) The History of the Catholic Church in West Nile 3. Joel Obetia, (2008) Worship and Christian Identity in Uganda: A Study of the Contextualization of Worship in the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Independent churches in the West Nile and Kampala areas of Uganda' Submitted in accordance with the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the University of Leeds, Department of Theology and Religious Studies Oxford Centre for Mission Studies 4. Diocese of Madi and West Nile, Church of Uganda (2018). ‘Celebrating Our Centenary’ The Story of what God in Christ has done through the Anglican Church in West Nile 1918 – 2018. Barny Books, UK. 5. Samuel Kermu, (1987). The Life and Times of Bishop Silvanus Wani, dissertation for the A.T.I.E.A. Bachelor of Divinity Degree, Uganda Christian University, Mukono.