Sudanese mourn Manute Bol at memorial service

By Greta Huls/Canon for Communications

PHOENIX – Hundreds attended a nearly four-hour long memorial service for Manute Bol, former NBA player and humanitarian for Sudan, at Trinity Cathedral on Saturday, July 17, at 1 p.m. The service was open to the public.

Dozens of men and women spoke of Bol and his humanitarian efforts. The Very. Rev. Nicholas Knisely preached at the service attended by members of Bol’s family.

Bol, who was more than 7 feet 6 inches tall, played for the Washington Bullets (now renamed the Washington Wizards) from 1985–1988 and subsequently for Golden State, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat before ending his NBA career in 1994. Bol died Saturday, June 19, after suffering severe kidney problems and a painful skin condition. Bol’s funeral was Tuesday, June 29 at Washington National Cathedral.

A native of Sudan, Bol spent his later years as an advisory board member of Sudan Sunrise, working for reconciliation in his native country. Sudan Sunrise, a not-for-profit, non-denominational organization, is a movement of Americans, Sudanese, and others to facilitate reconciliation and solidarity between Southern Sudanese Christians, Darfurian Muslims, and all Sudanese.

St. Paul the Apostle Sudanese Church, the diocese’s Sudanese mission, was not large enough to hold the expected crowd.

On the Net: //www.azcathedral.org/