THE LENTEN SEASON

THE LENTEN SEASON

In ‘The General Instructions on the Roman Missal, under - the Universal norms on the liturgical year  Nos. 27-31,  we find the following:

- Lent is ordered to preparing for the celebration of Easter…..,

- The days of Lent run from Ash Wednesday up to but excluding the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Evening Mass of Holy Thursday).

- From the beginning of Lent until the Paschal Vigil, no Alleluia.

- The Sundays of this time of year are called the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Sundays of Lent.

- The 6th Sunday, on which Holy Week begins, is called “Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.”

- Holy Week commemorates Christ’s Passion....

ASH WEDNESDAY

- On Ash Wednesday, we begin Lent, ashes are distributed and everywhere it is observed as a day of fasting,

 - Following the example of the Ninevites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and reminds us that life passes away on Earth

- Ashes also symbolize grief for 

our having sinned and caused division from God...

- Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday …

FSTING & ABSTINENCE

- Canon 1251: Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday ….

- Canon 1252: All persons who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year…. But even those who are not bound by the law of fasting  and abstinence should be educated in an authentic sense of penance…..

PARISH LENTEN PROGRAM

A detailed Lenten programme will be given on Sunday I of Lent.

On Ash Wed: Mass and distribution of ashes, 6:15 a.m.; 7:00 a.m.; 01:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.

We shall also be having: Holy Hours with special penitential psalms and Lenten exhortations on Thursday evening; Stations or Way of the Cross on Fridays, Lenten recollections, home visits, community Masses and a penitential service.

The 1st annual Solemn Novena to St. Jude also takes place in this season.

Sun 11, Feb 2018 10:02 am

A massage to our Parish Council

(To all members of Naggulu Parish Council;)

Beloved parish councilors, before  I go any further, I would like, superfluous as it may seem, to very briefly remind you of the Catholic Church organizational structure.

It all begins with our Lord. When Jesus Christ started his Mission on earth, he announced: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mk 1:15).” Some three years later, just before his ascension, he commissioned the eleven apostles with the following words: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Mt 28:16-20).”

On Pentecost day, filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles went out among the people and began spreading Jesus’ message, thus establishing the beginning of the Church.

As the church spread and grew, the Apostles appointed ministers to assist them and some of them to be their successors, these are called Bishops. They are gathered around the Pope and share with him the responsibility for the governance of the universal Church.

Once a Bishop is ordained, he is assigned to a Diocese and every Diocese is in turn divided into geographical areas or communities which we all know as parishes.

A Bishop cannot be in all the parishes, he therefore ordains priests and commissions some of them as Parish Priests to represent him in the parishes.

We can refer to a Parish as: (i) a group of Christians called together by God through Baptism to share in the mission of Jesus; or (ii) Eucharistic people gathered with the leadership of the Parish Priest.

Brothers and sisters, members of the parish council, bear with me as we continue to walk along this  seemingly unnecessary path. Though to some of you this may seem to be a diversion from my message to you, don’t get bored. My intention is to leave no one behind. I know that some of you have not had the opportunity to put things together so as to see where your role and responsibility as parish councilors come from. That’s the group this ‘diversion’ is for.

So, by virtue of our baptism, all of us making up the parish community, are called upon to share with the Parish Priest and his assistants, the responsibility of spreading and strengthening the kingdom of God on earth. Now, to regularly and systematically gather the entire parish community and draw up plans for effecting the mission Jesus Christ entrusted to the church, is not only unpractical but also next to impossible. Hence the need for organizational structures of collaboration. That’s where the parish council comes in.

It is out of necessity to form an intermediary group representing and is in contact with the parishioners.  This group, called the Parish Council, plans with the Parish Priest for the fulfillment of the mission of the church in that particular parish and beyond. Parish Councilors must never forget that they have been called by God and that their parish is part of a diocese which is part of an Episcopal conference and ultimately under the Holy Father.

Let me here point out to you councilors, that since the Parish Priest is the representative of the Bishop in the Parish, and his role in the life and development of the parish is central, his involvement in the work of the parish council is essential. Parish Council decisions must have his approval. According to Canon 536, he is to preside over the Parish Council during meetings. [In Kampala Archdiocese, however, the Parish Priest delegates the role of chairing the meetings to the leader of the laity (Ssaabakristu) while he as head of the parish, guides the meeting and has the last word on any decision taken in the meeting.]

TO BE CONTINUED.

Tue 30, Jan 2018 09:01 am

Merry Christmas dear Parishioners

Dear brothers and sisters , we have reasons to thank God as we celebrate Christmas. He has come among us and as you know, great things happen when God mixes with man; thank you Emmanuel . We have had many blessings from the Lord since we celebrated last year’s Christmas; ma God’s name be praised.

Now I turn to you dear fellow Parishioners. Thank you for loving your God and your church. Thank you for the prayers you have made to God. Thank you for the people towards whom you have accorded charity.

Thank you for the love you have extended to your neighbors, for the gifts you offered to the church, for the contributions towards building the city, for the services in the various departments at the church, for the love you have showered to your priests. And above all for the steps you have taken to grow stronger in your faith. I pray that God’s birth brings about newness in our lives and May 2018 be a year of great achievements in our lives, in our families and homes, at work and at our schools

May God make special visits to each one of you, I mean to each one of us!

Fr. Joseph Kaseeta

Assistant Parish Priest.

Wed 27, Dec 2017 15:12 pm

Joy to the World, a Saviour is born!!!

Christmas time is here once again!  A time when we come together as one family to give thanks to God!

We share love, togetherness, peace and joy in totality, as we sing Alleluia!!!  to welcome the new born child in our midst. Let us open our hearts to receive Him, extend this love to the disadvantaged in our community, open our doors to welcome the needy and challenged into our homes! It is indeed a season of great joy.

On behalf of the Parish Council and on my own behalf, allow me to convey our warm greetings to you all, at this special time of Christmas. May the new born child be a source of  light in our lives and may we extend this light to our brothers and sisters through our peaceful and loving actions!

We give thanks to God for our Parish, and for all that he has enabled us to achieve through the year, not forgetting the various challenges faced, but as believers we know that He remains good and mighty in all situations.

I take this opportunity to thank our Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Godfrey Kyeyune, his Curates Rev. Fr. Peter Byangwa and Rev. Fr. Joseph Kaseeta, our Head Catechist Madam Immaculate Namakula and team, the Parish Council members; the Parish Staff and all Parishioners for your dedicated service to God through our Parish, may the Almighty God bless each one of you.

Allow me to welcome in a special way the newly elected Parish Leaders for the period 2017-2020, thank you for your selfless offer to serve God; we seek His mercy and guidance as we carry out our responsibilities in the respective departments, in order for us to fulfill our evangelization mission.

We sometimes get caught up in the materialistic details of Christmas, and pay a lot of attention to the food, drink, parties, new outfits, detail, which is very much in order; however, we also need to embrace the deeper meaning of Christmas! Christ is the reason for the season, and therefore, may our lives be deeply touched and transformed by God’s love as we extend peace, joy, love, togetherness, respect and forgiveness to our brothers and sisters.

During this festive season, kindly take a moment and reflect on His birth, the meaning of Christmas which will help us rediscover the glory of the season. Let us cleanse our souls from the burdens we carry, we cannot please everyone all the time, but we can surely try to please God!

Wishing you all and your families, Christmas joy and a New Year filled with new blessings of God’s goodness.

Margaret Sheila Matovu

Chairperson – Head of the Laity

Wed 27, Dec 2017 15:12 pm

Advent Season 2017

We have been pointing to the coming of Advent for the last two Sundays. The Season is finally here. Today we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent. Welcome to the Advent Season.

As usual we wish to refresh our minds about our Catholic practices so that we may fully rejoice in them. Regarding Advent, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

“When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’ (Jn 3:30)" (524).

The ancient expectancy of the Messiah talked about in the Catechism, is what we have begun to celebrate and make present today. Throughout Advent, as we listen to the readings from the Old Testament, we are going to spiritually be one with our ancestors in faith and share in their long preparation for the coming of the Savior. Our sharing in their preparation will renew our desire to receive him when he comes at the end of time; this will be brought out very well by the readings from the New Testament, which will remind us that Jesus will come again as judge of all.  Thus the season we have begun is a season of expectant hope and royalty. We await in joyful expectation the coming Our Lord and Savior.

Activities for the Season at Our Lady and St. Jude

1. Celebration of the Eucharist

Daily Masses  -  Monday to Friday [6:30 a.m.; 7:00 a.m.; 1:00 p.m.], Saturdays [6:30 a.m.; 7:00 a.m.;] with Advent homilies/reflections/exhortations.

Sunday Masses — the usual Sunday programme. Follow the homilies as we walk the Advent journey.  

2. Advent Wreath

Our Advent wreath, which has been blessed on this first Sunday of Advent, will remain in position for the entire Season. Make use of this symbol.

3. Holy hour with Vespers

Every Thursday evening (5:30 p.m.) there will be exposition of the blessed sacrament, as is always the case, for an hour. During the exposition we shall:

- recite psalms, listen to the word of God and have exhortations/reflections with Advent themes.

The hourly service before the Blessed Sacrament will be preparing us to be awake as we wait in joyful expectation for the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ as Emmanuel (God with us) and as one who comes to judge the living and the dead.

We shall be therefore expected to progress towards a renunciation of all ways which prevent us from receiving Jesus when he comes in our lives.

4. Penance

Although this is not a penitential season, all the same as a way of giving a chance to as many faithful as possible who would like to make their peace with God during this season of Advent, we shall retain our normal Saturday morning confessions (7:30 a.m.) and also encourage every one to use any available opportunity to request for the Sacrament of Penance.

5. Visiting the Sick and Elderly

The Liturgy leaders and the Good Samaritans will team up to visit  the sick and elderly in our communities .

We are all encouraged to be part of this arrangement. You can either point out a sick/elderly person, donate something for these people or join the team as they make the visits. It is also praise worthy to make your personal programme of visiting an elderly or a sick person in your community.

6. Recollections

We encourage leaders of Departments to arrange for special days of recollection. For example Catholic Men’s Gui8ld; Catholic Women’s Guild; The Youth; Children; Choirs etc…....

May the Season of Advent 2017, prepare us to joyfully meet Our Lord when he comes.

Wed 06, Dec 2017 08:12 am

Message from the Parish Priest

Welcome to Our Lady and St Jude Parish Naggulu website.  I hope you will find here the information you need.

The Parish is one of the over sixty Parishes of the Archdiocese of Kampala. We are eager to welcome you to take part in the various activities and ministries of Naggulu Parish, St. Jude’s devotion and the proceedings of St. Jude’s City. Such activities as, the daily and Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, celebration of Sacraments and various prayers.

Our church, is open all day, and it is good to see many people popping in, especially in the Adoration Chapel, for a short visit and finding peace and quiet with the Lord. Conveniently situated next to the church is Our Lady’s grotto, where a good number of the faithful come and say something to the Blessed Virgin.

The parish community has an active lay involvement, with clergy working in a collaborative way, closely united with the Archdiocese to make sure that grass root evangelization  is effected.

Our Catholic Nursery School and St. Jude Primary School, both situated on Church land are signs that we are serious about building strong foundations for our Church and Nation.

The Parish Pastoral Council joins me in welcoming you to this website.

May God bless you as you explore these pages.

Fr. Godfrey Kyeyune

Tue 28, Nov 2017 13:11 pm

Solemnity of Christ the King

Welcome to the Solemnity of Christ the King. Happy Feast Day.

Today as we gather to celebrate the day, I would like to say something more about why Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast and why it is still relevant today. I will pick up some points from the Pope’s Encyclical Letter of  December, 11 1925; Quas Primas —which introduced the Feast (Nos. 31, 32, 33).

Jesus Christ is Lord of the Universe.

The Pope introduces his Letter with the following words:

In the first Encyclical Letter …... We remember saying that (the) manifold evils in the world were due to the fact that the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives; that these had no place either in private affairs or in politics: and we said further, that as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations. Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ….. (Quas Primas, No. 1)

He saw a problem, the governors and governed of this world were thrusting Jesus Christ out of their lives. The law of God no longer meant anything to them, it had no place in people’s private lives or in politics. Evils were multiplying in the world at an alarming rate. He wished to open the eyes of the world that they may see the needful; namely, that throwing Christ out of their lives leads to doom. So he wrote Quas Primas which instituted the feast of the Kingship of Christ and called upon the world to look for peace in the Kingdom of Christ. Christ out: meant more evils and Christ in: meant back to the way of peace.

The Pope expected that celebrating the Feast annually, would remind rulers of nations, that they too are bound to give public honor and obedience to Christ. He believed that they would be reminded that not all ends here on earth; Jesus Christ whom they throw out of their lives, despise, neglect and ignore, will be found as a just judge at the end of time, demanding that Nations answer for their actions. He will want to know how much freedom the State gave to the Church to carry out her mission in the world and how the same State took account of God’s commandments and Christian principles in making laws and administering justice.

He further hoped, that the Feast would be a reminder to everybody that the Church has the right to perfect freedom and immunity from the power of the State. When the Church is fulfilling her God given duty of teaching, ruling and guiding those who belong to the kingdom of Christ,  she has a natural and inalienable right to perfect freedom and immunity from the power of the state and cannot be subject to any external power. The State is thus bound to give freedom to the agents of Evangelization as they carry out the mission.

It was his intended aim, that the faithful would gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as they would annually be reminded that Christ must reign in their hearts, minds, wills, and bodies.  It was his desire that this would lead the faithful to live their lives in accordance with the laws of  God’s kingdom and receive full measure of good fruit, and counted by Christ good and faithful servants, they may be rendered partakers of eternal happiness and glory with him in his heavenly kingdom.

The relevance of the Feast today

Ninety two years since the institution of the Feast, the world still needs to be reminded that the way to lasting peace among nations is through submission to God’s law through Jesus Christ, Lord of the universe.

Unfortunately a good number of people today, as in 1925, are more interested in what profits them individually here and now. The individual self is becoming the only authority. Calling Christ Lord or King seems antiquated to some, because these are titles given to oppressive systems of governance. They don’t stop to reflect on the kingship of Christ whose kingdom is one of humility and service.

We hear him say: “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45)”

The kingdom that Jesus Christ brings is a kingdom of justice, radical love, mercy, peace and forgiveness.

We therefore still find the celebration of the feast of Christ the King relevant today. It continues to remind us that in him we find answers to many of the questions we are ever struggling to answer when we are blindly pursuing the individualistic path that many are following. Humility, justice, love, mercy and forgiveness will lead us to true peace.

Sun 26, Nov 2017 04:11 am

Msgr. Anatoli Kamya remembered

On Wednesday 15th November,2017, we had a memorial Mass for the late Msgr Anatoli Kamya. It was led by his nephew Rev. Fr. Anthony Mugambe.

This month November, is particularly dedicated to all the departed faithful; we are encouraged to pray in a special way for souls in purgatory.

Thu 23, Nov 2017 09:11 am

The National Novena to St. Jude Thaddeus

The National Novena to St. Jude Thaddeus was held here from 19th - 27th October. We celebrated the Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude on 28th October. Congratulations to Naggulu Parishioners and all Devotees to St, Jude.

Tue 07, Nov 2017 13:11 pm

Celebrating Kampala Archdiocesan Golden Jubilee

REMEMBER, REJOICE, RENEW!

Tue 07, Nov 2017 13:11 pm