The nun who married herself

A Legacy of Naming afterSidonia

If you ask about Christian women’s names in Aweil, the most common response would be “Maria” after the Virgin Mary and Saint Maria. Another popular name is “Cecilia,” after Saint Cecilia, the patroness of music, named after early midwives in Aweil. There’s also “Teresa” (after SaintThérèse, the “Little Flower of Christ” and Mother Teresa), often given to educated women. “Angelina” (after Saint Angelina, the missionary and guardian angel) is widely used due to its soft and affectionate
connotation.

However, “Sidonia” became famous in the 1970s and afterward due to the admiration
for Sister Sidonia Aman Tong, who served in Aweil for over seventy years. She lived
to be around 120 years old, arriving in Aweil and never leaving until her burial.
Aman Dhet – The Beautiful Angel of Goodness

Sister Sidonia Aman Tong served as a Catholic nun in Aweil, preaching love,
goodness, and peace. She worked as a respected teacher, shaping generations of
students who later served their country. She also cared for orphans, becoming their
loving mother. She was truly an angel of goodness. She endured tremendous hardships, including war, famine, epidemics, and massacres. She was threatened at gunpoint and faced hunger and disease alongside the people. Through it all, she worked tirelessly to uplift the community, leading them toward love, peace, and dignity.

A Life of Courage

(This Cross Will Be My Husband)

Sidonia Aman Tong was born in Gogrial (now part of Warrap State) around 1895. She took the baptismal name “Sidonia” when she joined the Catholic missionary school in Kuajok in 1922. Soon after, she declared to her family that she would become a nun—a radical decision in a society where marriage was essential for family prestige and economic gain. Her family strongly opposed her choice, as she and her sister were their only daughters, and their marriage would have brought great wealth through dowries. However, she remained firm, rejecting threats and pleas. When her brothers stormed the church and demanded the bishop pay her dowry (at least thirty cows), she defiantly declared: “This cross will be my husband! I will marry myself! I will pay this dowry!”

Aman Tong – Nun and Nurse

She officially became a nun in 1939 or 1942 and later worked as a nurse and cook at Wau Hospital. With her salary, she bought the thirty cows required as her dowry. She then joined Nyamlel Primary School as a nun-teacher in 1952, marking the beginning of her deep connection with Aweil.

The Catholic Mission in Northern Bahr el Ghazal

The Roman Catholic mission played a foundational role in education in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, also supporting Sister Aman Tong’s journey. The British administration had sought to establish a Catholic mission in the region since 1927, finally succeeding in 1933 with the arrival of three Comboni priests: Father Angelo Herbe, Father Eduardo Manson, and Father Giuliano Ignazio Algesi. The mission faced initial resistance,
with some locals believing the white missionaries were cannibals. However, a
turning point came when a local elderly woman claimed to have seen her deceased
father in a dream, instructing her to visit the mission and drink its “blessed water.”
This vision convinced many to embrace the church. Over time, the mission expanded,
establishing churches, schools, and seminaries, producing leaders such as Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako.

However, political turmoil, war, and government policies on Christian missions led to
challenges, including the expulsion of foreign priests in 1964.

A Lifetime of Service – The Icon of Girls’ Education

Sister Sidonia Aman Tong was actively involved in teaching, especially promoting girls’ education. She was sent to Uganda in 1954 for teacher training and later to Rome, Italy, before returning in 1964 to serve as the principal of the Nazareth School in Wau.
In 1970, she settled permanently in Aweil, where she helped establish Comboni Primary School and, in 1978, the orphanage and association known as Saint Maria Goretti. This was an unprecedented initiative that cemented her legacy. She became known as “the Mother of Orphans”—not only Christian orphans but also Muslim children under her care. Many of them later became influential figures in South Sudan.

“Tomorrow, the Educated Girl’s Dowry Will Be High”

She traveled across villages in a church vehicle, persuading families to enroll their daughters in school. She argued that one day, educated girls would command a dowry of 100 cows—a prediction that later came true.

Defiance Against Oppression

During Sudan’s policies of Arabization, she insisted on teaching English alongside local languages and Arabic in Comboni School, despite military opposition. This defiance led authorities to brand the school as a breeding ground for rebels. She was repeatedly taken at gunpoint to the army garrison in Aweil but always returned more determined. Many owe their English proficiency to her resilience.

Sidonia Aman Dhet – A Pioneer of Social Initiatives

Beyond her roles as a nun, teacher, and orphanage director, she also led educational sessions on ending harmful practices and promoting respect for disabled individuals. She integrated them into school and church activities, believing they were blessed with talents. She also advocated for the inclusion of the mentally ill in the community, teaching compassion and care.

Mother Sidonia Aman Tong

She was a nun, but she overflowed with maternal love. Everyone called her “Mother Aman”. She was gentle but firm, instilling resilience, ambition, and success in those she mentored. Many of her former students and orphans now hold leadership roles in Sudan and South Sudan.

Struggles with Discrimination

When someone told her she was beautiful, she replied, “True beauty lies in God’s
creation and in love.” She also recalled facing racial discrimination as the only Black nun among white sisters, but she considered her dark skin a precious gift from God.

The Famine Years – Her Deepest Pain

Her most painful memories were the famines that struck Aweil in the late 1980s and mid-1990s. With the area under siege and bombed by Antonov planes, starvation
claimed many lives. She recalled with sorrow how some people were even devoured by hyenas.

The Passing of the Angel of Goodness

Sister Sidonia Aman Tong passed away in Aweil on May 24, 2014, in her room at Saint George Church, near the orphanage she founded. Her funeral mass was led by Bishop
Rudolf Deng Majak. Her death left the city mourning the loss of its beloved mother,
who dedicated nearly a century to serving the church, promoting education, and caring for orphans.

Many believe her legacy should be honored by naming a school, church, or institution
after her.

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Reference
A brief history of St. Theresa Catholic Church
By Fr. Michael D. Barton, MCCJ.