Diocese of St. Cloud welcomes Nobel Peace Prize nominee

The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud will welcome Nobel Peace Prize nominee Bishop Paride Taban (pronounced par-ee-day tub-on) of Sudan Oct. 23Ð25. This long-time friend of the diocese will address the public at the eighth annual Fall Mission Forum, which is sponsored by the Diocesan Mission Office.

The event is at the Cathedral of St. Mary in the lower church, beginning with Catholic Mass at 12:05 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25. After Mass will be a reception and presentation by Bishop Taban, during which he will share about the current situation at this crucial time in the history of Sudan, Africa’s largest country. He also will discuss paths for peaceful action and advocacy, including his work with the Peace Village in Kuron. The event is free and open to everyone with no registration required.

Bishop Taban is the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Torit in Southern Sudan and the founder and coordinator of the Holy Trinity Peace Village in Kuron. He also is a national and international spokesperson for Southern Sudan. He is in the U.S. with a delegation of three others specifically sent to address the pending issues in Sudan with the Secretary General of the U.N., various members of congress, and interested civic and academic groups.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud encompasses 16 central-Minnesota counties, with an estimated total population of 500,000, including 150,000 Catholics. It stretches south from Elk River north to Wadena and covers the entire span of Central Minnesota.

For more information about this specific visit, contact Kateri Mancini, Coordinator of Mission Education at the Mission Office at (320) 251-1100 or kmmission@cloudnet.com. For questions about the Diocese of St. Cloud, contact Director of Communications Rebecca Kurowski at (320) 251-0558 or rkurowski@gw.stcdio.org.