Cardinal H.G. Stephen Ameyu is a Sudan Relief Fund partner and Cardinal for the Archdiocese of Juba, the capital city of South Sudan in Central Equatoria state. He is the nation’s first Cardinal, known for his message of peace and reconciliation in a historically divided and war-torn nation.
Cardinal Stephen was appointed as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba in December of 2019, and later installed as the third Archbishop of Juba in March, 2020, in a ceremony at St. Theresa’s Cathedral Parish, Kator. On July 9, 2023, he was named Cardinal by Pope Francis, an announcement which coincided with the twelfth anniversary of South Sudan’s independence, and was seen as recognition of his many peace-seeking efforts. On September 30, 2023, he was established as Cardinal at the Vatican.
While acting as Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba, he also served as Apostolic Administrator in the Diocese of Torit and Wau. He began his pastoral service in the Archdiocese of Khartoum until being sent on to Rome to further his priestly studies. On completion, he taught Dogmatic Theology at St. Paul’s National Major Seminary. Prior to his appointment as Cardinal, he served in numerous capacities, including teaching and administrative positions at Catholic universities, founding the NGO Horiok Community Association and Development, and consulting for women’s groups and women’s advancement organizations.
Cardinal Stephen has resisted opposition and pushed for peace and reconciliation in both his diocese and country throughout his service. In February, 2023, he hosted Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s much anticipated first visit to the young nation of South Sudan. “The peace which our country so badly needs is not a purely human peace based on personal interests, but rather the peace of Jesus,” he said in an address to the Pope during the historic visit.
The Cardinal partners with Sudan Relief Fund to provide support for our humanitarian projects and activities within his Diocese. “I am very grateful to Sudan Relief Fund for their overwhelming support to different Dioceses in South Sudan,” he said. “May you continually be blessed for the good work. God bless Sudan Relief Fund and the donors supporting Sudan Relief Fund.”
