By Emmanuel Mandella

Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) has urged all Christians who have distanced themselves from the Holy Communion to return to what he called the “Table of the Lord.”

In a pastoral letter released on June 21, 2025, titled “A Loving Invitation Back to the Table of the Lord,” the bishop reached out to those burdened by sin, pain, or life’s hardships, calling on them to find healing, strength, and peace through the Eucharist.

“With a heart full of joy and compassion, I write to you this gentle invitation: Come back to the Table of the Lord. Come and receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist your food for the soul, your healing for the heart, your strength for the journey,” he wrote.

Quoting St. Teresa of Calcutta, the bishop reminded the faithful that, “Jesus is there in the tabernacle just for you. He longs for you.” His message cuts through guilt and isolation, offering a path not for the perfect, but for the broken and beloved.

“Returning is not about proving you’re flawless, but about saying ‘yes’ to love. Yes, to Jesus. Yes, to healing. Yes, to beginning again,” Bishop Hiiboro emphasized.

The bishop cited the Gospel of Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” and painted the Eucharist as not a reward for the righteous, but a gift for the weary: “a balm for wounds, a wellspring of peace, and a light for the path ahead.”

Reflecting on his own spiritual journey, the bishop shared:

“Each time I receive the Eucharist, I am moved to tears inside because I know how unworthy I am, yet how much my Jesus wants to feed me, dwell in me, and love through me.”

His letter, imbued with both theological depth and personal vulnerability, was more than a directive it was a plea from a shepherd to his scattered flock.

“Come, beloved of God,” he concluded. “Come to the feast of mercy. Jesus is waiting with a pierced heart full of tenderness, with healing in His hands, and with joy in welcoming you home.”

As the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio prepares for a season of Eucharistic renewal, Bishop Hiiboro’s message is being seen not only as a spiritual call but as a timely response to the silent crisis of disconnection within the Catholic faithful.