Gulu, like all the territories along the Nile valley, belonged to the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Africa created in 1846, and which had been suspended because of too many deaths of missionaries. The sons and daughters of St. Daniel Comboni who were the first missionaries in Gulu had been there for a while.

The Vicariate of Central Africa was eventually re-activated and entrusted to Msgr. Daniel Comboni with the same boundaries of 1846. In 1877 he was promoted Bishop and Vicar Apostolic with his See in Khartoum. With the help of many explorers and commanders, Saint Daniel Comboni had studied and planned to push southward down to Uganda. Even so the Roman Authorities did not allow him to proceed.

Before Comboni’s death (1881) a Decree of Propaganda Fide had moved the southern boundary to the 10th degree latitude north and rectified the boundaries. On the 15th January, 1894 the boundary for Equatorial Nile was taken back to the 2nd degree latitude north. On 13th July, 1894 the “Uganda Vicariate” was finally established South of Victoria Nile. Thus, it was a satisfactory arrangement.