Opening of our new parish Mapeera-Nabulagala in Kampala
June 24th 2007

(to see the history)

Missionaries of Africa: from left to right: Fr. Reynaert Gerard, Lehnertz Rudi, v.d. Heuvel Peter, Eeckhout George, Desta, stagiaire at Nabulagala, de Schaetzen Arnould, Bustince Lazaro, Bishop Gay, Bailer Otto, Richard Nnyombi.

June 24th saw the Opening of our new parish Mapeera-Nabulagala in Kampala. It was there 128 years ago, that the King, Kabaka Mutesa I, gave the land for the first White Fathers to start their mission. The present Kabaka Ronald Mutebi II was the guest of honour and is still the owner of the land. In his speech he praised the the work of the missionaries to bring Christianity and the development of the country.

Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga opened the new parish by blessing the church and installing Fr. Richard Nnyombi as the first Parish Priest. During the sollemn mass with 3 bishops (Auxiliary Bishop Kakooza, retired Bishop Robert Gay and retired Bishop Baharagate) and 40 priests, many religious and thousands of CHRISTIANS 15 people were batized and confirmed.

The place was full of tents and very well decorated and organised. It shows a great cooperation and dedicaton of the parishioners.

The parish logo reads: HOW CAN I REPAY THE LORD FOR HIS GOODNESS TO ME?

This day of greater joy is the abundant harvest that has come out of that mustard seed that those missionaries planted in this soil of Nabulagala!

The former Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre stated before he left: THE CHURCH WILL ALWAYS BE MISSIONARY.

His Emminence Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala: Stated:
RE-ENTER NABULAGALA TO RE-EVANGELISE.

 

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Fr. Richard Nnyombi is the parish priest, assisted by Fr. Charles Kasule and Fr. Desire Le Goff.

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The Kabaka and the Archbishop. The Kabaka planting a tree
(the big old trees were planted by P. Lourdel)

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Richard Nnyombi and Bishop Gay.
Richard Nnyombi and the Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga Kizito of Kampala

The first 5 White Fathers present not only in spirit, but their remains were in front of the altar covered by a white cloth (the remains of Lourdel, Amans, Barbot and Matias Mulumba and Bishop’s Livinhac’s urn among them), on top the visible containers of the Martyrs of Uganda. Hopefully these remains will stay at Nabulagala in the Memorial Chapel.

Our congratulations to the great day!

(to see the history)

Otto Bailer

From Otto Bailer, MAfr