In Pace Christi

Fr. Mödi Abel Nyörkö was born on 31 July 1943 at Terekeka, near Juba (South Sudan) to Elizabeth Kaku Jube and Nyorko Jangara of the Mundari tribe. He attended the catechumenate at his village church and was baptised at Kadule in 1951.

When he had finished primary school, he entered the seminary at Okaru in 1956 where he completed secondary school and then joined the Major Seminary of Tore River (Yei). After a brief period of philosophy and theology at Kit and at Lacor (Uganda), in 1968 he left for Italy to continue his formation with the Comboni Missionaries. He did the novitiate in Florence where he took first vows on 9 September 1970. He studied at the Pontifical Urbanian College from 1970 to 1971 and was ordained priest on 3 April 1971 at Macerata by Mons. Ersilio Tonini. He made his perpetual profession on 27 September 1976.

In late 1971, he was assigned to South Sudan which had by then been annexed by the region of Khartoum, under the guidance of Fr. Ottorino Sina, the regional superior. After the expulsion of the Comboni Missionaries in 1964, only those members originally from South Sudan could continue to work in the country. On 6 December 1971, Nzara was reopened and, four months later Fr. Mödi joined the members of the community as curate, becoming parish priest in 1977 until 1980. In 1973 – education was one of the main priorities of the country – Fr. Mödi had founded a Comboni primary school of which he was the first headmaster. The school is still functioning today.

From 1980 to 1984, Fr. Mödi was assigned to the NAP, also for reason of further studies. During this period he obtained a Master’s in education at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio and later studied Christology at the Catholic Theological Union. He was then recalled to Juba by Archbishop Paulino Lukudu.

On his return to South Sudan, he held the post of teacher and Vice-rector of the Major National Seminary of Saint Paul in Bussere (Wau) and then at Munuki, (Juba) from 1985 to 1989. Four of his students at St Paul’s Seminary became bishops. His seminarians considered him as being courteous, patient, calm, friendly and kind, a priest who was always smiling, a formator who lived his missionary life with zeal and dedication.

While he was Vice-Rector, he was appointed archdiocesan director of the Association of the Youth (1987-1989) and Fr. Cesare Mazzolari’s Vice-Provincial from 1987 to 1989.

In 1989, Fr. Mödi was elected Provincial Superior of South Sudan and took office on 1 January 1990, as the first African Comboni provincial in the history of the Institute. The start of his mandate coincided with the intensification of the war in Sudan.

On 1 July 1990, Fr. Francesco Pierli, Superior General, formed a new group of Comboni Missionaries to serve the people in the so-called “liberated areas” (by the SPLA) and to guarantee a degree of stability. The Comboni Missionaries who belonged to the Province of South Sudan were also present. Fr. Mödi, whose mandate expired on 31 December 1992, was asked to continue as the Delegate of the Superior General.

It was the most difficult period of the circumscription due to the conflict that engulfed the whole of Sudan. During those years he also worked among the refugees, especially the Mundari, the Madi and the Acholi, in Juba refugee camp. He was then asked to move to Khartoum where he stayed for two years. In September 1996, he went to Rome for a Sabbatical Year and, on 1 July, he was appointed to the NAP, where he was engaged in ministry at the parish of Holy Cross in Los Angeles, California. He remained there from 1999 to 2008. He was also made vice-superior of the community in 2004.

On 1 January 2009, he was assigned to Mission promotion at the community of La Grange Park in Chicago, Illinois, continuing there until 2011 when he was transferred to our missionary centre at Covina, California, doing the same sort of missionary work.

Fr. Mödi was based at the parish of Saint Lucy, in Newark, New Jersey, in 2015 and 2016.

From 1 January 2017 up to the day of his death, he belonged to the community of Cincinnati as “an elderly missionary”. His presence in the community was marked by a sense of sweetness and goodness and he was nicknamed "The African Chief ".

Fr. Modi Abel Nyorko spoke Bari, Zande, English, Arabic, Italian and Spanish.

Fr. Mödi already had a number of problems with his health when he was struck by the COVID-19 which hastened his demise which occurred on 1 June 2020. Hs remains were interred in Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, Monroe, Mich., on Wednesday 10 June.