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Declan
O Toole - 21st March 2002
Declan O'Toole
was born on the 2nd of February 1971 in Galway, Ireland.
He was son of Paul and Camel O'Toole and brother to
Ita. Sharon and Kenneth. He followed his secondary education
at Presentation College, Headford, Co. Galway. He entered
Dartry in 1988 for his Basic Formation Year and then
proceeded to study Philosophy at Milltown Institute
from 1989 to 1991, and then studied Theology from 1991
until 1997 at Mill Hill, London. During his theology
studies he had a two-year missionary experience in Uganda.
He was ordained
on the 28th June 1997 at Claran, Headford, Co. Galway
by Archbishop of Tuam, Michael Neary. After his Ordination
Declan took up his appointment to Uganda in October
1997. He served as one of the first team members in
the new outreach programme by Mill Hill to the lie people
in the Diocese of Kotido in the Northern area of Uganda.
This is an area of Uganda which is relatively undeveloped
and has proved to be a very dangerous situation to minister
in.
Declan was
greatly involved in the setting up of the new mission
in Panyangara. He was engaged over the years as a peacemaker
in arranging Church sponsored peace accords between
the warring tribes of the lie and Dodos and Bokora,
Acholi and Labwor peoples and participated regularly
in peace meetings.
He engaged
himself in various other projects to help the Karamojong
peoples. Due to Declan,s initiative the mission in Panyangara
is presently supplying water to many people in the neighbourhood
and also from far and wide. Declan wrote regularly about
the breakdown of peace talks, the insecurity on the
roads, the many killings of different peoples and the
great danger that the people and missionaries there
lived under.
According
to information received Fr Declan was ambushed while
driving on the Kotido-Moroto road in Karamoja together
with two staff members, Fidelis and Patrick, of the
Catholic Mission of Panyangara. A single gunman, dressed
in soldier,s uniform, stopped the vehicle
on the road. Fr Declan and the two other passengers
were shot at close range.
Declan's
body was taken to Matany Catholic Mission Hospital and
later flown home to be buried in his home parish.
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0502
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