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Pastoral Care and Trauma Healing in South Sudan

A young woman bows her head, her hands clasped tightly as she searches for the words to describe the loss she has carried. A trained mentor listens, offering support, guidance and a space to heal. In South Sudan, where conflict and displacement have fractured innocent lives, faith leaders play a critical role in helping communities process the devastating mental, physical, and emotional toll of trauma. The Catholic Church remains a source of strength, guiding hearts toward peace and reconciliation in the face of painful and intrusive memories. Faith replaces fear, acting as a healing balm for past wounds.

With few mental health services available locally, trained catechists, pastoral teams, and local faith leaders walk with their communities, offering end-to-end support. Efforts such as faith formation, trauma healing workshops, and leadership development help to strengthen South Sudan's communities search for peace.

Friends in Solidarity is committed to supporting this positive change in South Sudan.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,

Matthew 11:28

In a country where the effects of war run deep, healing is both urgent and essential. Local faith leaders and trained catechists are often the first—and only—source of comfort, reconciliation, and hope.

The Friends in Solidarity-supported Pastoral Care and Trauma Healing Project provides spiritual formation, trauma healing, and leadership training, helping faith leaders and communities foster peace and stability. At the heart of these efforts is the Good Shepherd Peace Centre in Kit, a hub for pastoral training and spiritual support. From here, a dedicated team travels across South Sudan’s eight dioceses, leading trauma healing workshops, faith formation programs, and leadership development initiatives.

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Pastoral Workshops since Project Inception

catechist trainees now active in their communities
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leadership activities for youth

Healing & Hope

3,280 women have taken part in empowerment workshops and support initiatives.
1,316 youth have engaged in leadership and reconciliation programs.
With fewer than 15 priests serving entire dioceses, the need for trained clergy is immense. To help bridge this gap, 3,299 catechists have completed formation and leadership training.
Annual clergy retreats provide spiritual renewal, with over 50 priests participating last year in guided sessions focused on their vocation and mental well-being.

While Kit serves as a base for this work, Juba—South Sudan’s capital—presents its own challenges. As a growing and diverse city, many arrive seeking stability and renewal after displacement and conflict. In addition to pastoral care, FiS-supported programs in Juba emphasize trauma healing and reconciliation, helping citizens restore trust, rebuild relationships, and begin to repair divisions created by conflict.

True recovery from trauma requires safe spaces where dialogue, forgiveness, and community restoration can occur. Through pastoral care initiatives, trained catechists, clergy, and lay leaders are ensuring that faith leads the way to healing and renewal in South Sudan.

Family, Women, Youth, and Children

Retreats and Formation

Trauma Accompaniment

Two religious sisters walk during a retreat at the Good Shepherd Peace Center in Kit, South Sudan. The center is sponsored by Solidarity with South Sudan.

On the right is Sister Rosa Anthony, a member of the Sisters of Charity, and on the left is Sister Jane Ngamita, a Sacred Heart Sister.

Maria Nyankume, 23, SwSS trained representative of the IDPs on positive coping strategies, at a Protection of Civilian Center in Juba

Staff of Rejaf School for the Blind, Juba

Everlyn Angaika participates in a trauma healing workshop at the Good Shepherd Peace Center in Kit, South Sudan. Sponsored by Solidarity with South Sudan and building on the work of Capacitar, the workshops help displaced people and others affected by South Sudan's violence to learn body-based practices that empower people to use their inner wisdom to heal and transform themselves in order to heal injustice and build peace in their families and communities.

At Rejaf School for the Blind in Juba - football time

Catherine Gale (L), Chairperson - Women of St. Kizito Parish, Juba with a member of the group

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Stories of Change

Meet Mary Mindraa Jino, Pastoral Care Beneficiary and Staff Member

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Partner Spotlight

Friends in Solidarity (FiS) is the U.S.-based partner of Solidarity with South Sudan (SwSS), supporting its mission to provide education, healthcare, pastoral formation, and agricultural training across the country. SwSS unites priests, brothers, sisters, and lay professionals to equip teachers, nurses, midwives, and faith leaders, ensuring even remote communities have access to vital services.

Through a capacity-building model, SwSS empowers South Sudanese citizens with the skills to rebuild their nation. FiS strengthens these efforts by raising awareness and securing resources to sustain this work.