ST. JUDE IS OUR BRIDGE TO THE LORD

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To the Universal Church, this day, the 28^th of October, is the Feast of two Saints: Simon and Jude Thaddeus. However, to some of us; our attention is particularly drawn to the Patron of difficult, desperate, and impossible cases – St. Jude Thaddeus.

May I therefore congratulate you all: Happy Feast Day!

In a very special way, I wish to thank His Grace Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere for accepting to be our Main Celebrant today. Thank you too, Your Grace, for your pastoral care to the Archdiocese of Kampala as our Shepherd.

For nine days, until yesterday the 27^th of October, we had been praying the novena of our beloved friend St. Jude Thaddeus. Our theme up to now has been: “Give thanks to the Lord because He is good; His love is eternal.” (2 Chronicles 20: 21-23). I can be certain that between the beginning of this year until now, some us have encountered challenges. However, we cannot say that God has forsaken altogether, no. There is always something to thank God for in spite of the dark paths that we might be going through. Let us not despair, St. Jude the Patron of difficult cases is always our bridge to the Lord who is our timeless consoler.

Dear St. Jude Thaddeus devotees, thank you for being steadfast in the Lord.  I am impressed by reports concerning those of you who consistently hold prayer meetings and also give testimony about favors that you have received from God through the intercession of this saint. This is very encouraging. It is my prayer that many more people turn to God, not only through this saint but through the various channels that Mother Church gives us, like the holy sacraments.

Besides promoting the devotion, many of you are supporting our project of building a new National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus here at Naggulu. I thank the leaders of the devotion from all dioceses in Uganda and Bungoma Diocese in Western Kenya, the Parish Council and parishioners of Naggulu, and the building committee members for steering this project on our behalf. Friends of Naggulu and all of you who come here for pilgrimage, thank you. At the moment, we are working on phases two and three of this church construction project, and we require shs 512,000,000 to get it done. We count on you dear friends to support us on this project. After this stage, we shall embark on phase four, which includes: external and internal finishes, plastering, then doors and windows.

May God bless you all. Happy Feast Day!

Tue 29, Oct 2024 02:10 am

UPDATE ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF JUDE: OCTOBER 2024

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Naggulu is home to the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, a sacred site that draws pilgrims from across Uganda and the African continent.

The new church will offer a more conducive environment for prayer, reflection, and spiritual renewal. It seats 1,500 people and features modern finishes, enhancing the worship experience and allowing the faithful to renew their commitment to God. It will serve as a beacon of faith and inspiration for pilgrims, while strengthening the sense of community among worshippers.

The new church will have 3 main entrances and extended windows with stained glass, allowing natural light and ventilation. Interior features will include a hardwood ceiling, marble floors, and wide seating areas free of columns. There is an adoration chapel and private areas for quiet worship, with full accessibility for the elderly and disabled.

This project represents the first phase of a larger vision that encompasses future developments in hospitality, entertainment, education, and healthcare, all situated on the parish's 10-acre property and thoughtfully designed to promote spiritual growth and reflection.   The project is overseen by a building committee in collaboration with community leaders.

Technical Progress -The project consists of 4 phases: Phase 1: the foundation was completed in May 2023. Phase 2: the columns and roofing is 70% complete by David Engineering

Phase 3: the walls, Stairs & Gallery is 80% complete by Bijan Consult. Phase 2 & 3 should be completed by the end of December 2024. Phase 4: will be the Internal and external finishes including Plastering, façade, ceilings, floors, doors & windows

Financing: -The total estimated cost is 6.4 billion, of which the Parish has raised 2.79 billion through various fundraising initiatives.

Phase 1: Foundation -Sarjan construct ltd.	1.057 bn
Phase 2: Columns & Roof -David Engineering	1.41 bn
Phase 3: walls, Stairs & Gallery -Bijan Consult	994m
Total Commitments	3.46 bn
Less: Amount Paid	2.233 bn
Total Outstanding Amount	1.227 bn
Less: Amounts Held in Banks & Investments	556m
Amount Needed to Complete Phase 2 & 3	512m

Current needs:

Decra Roofing Tiles;                          321m,

Roof Drainage:                                  21m,

Columns encasement & Walling:       170m

ACCOUNT DETAILS:

Account No: 3100019400

Account Name: Our Lady& St. Jude City Naggulu

Bank: Centenary bank

Mobile money: 0777 576260 (in names of Fr. Joseph Mary Bbuye)

Tue 29, Oct 2024 02:10 am

WELCOME TO NAGGULU THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF. JUDE THADDEUS

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I wish to welcome all people of God, pilgrims, devotees, and friends of St. Jude to this year's Annual Solemn Novena and the Feast of St. Jude Thaddeus Naggulu.

We especially welcome our Main Celebrant Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere, who has honored us today by leading Holy Mass at this celebration of the Solemn Feast of St. Jude. We thank you Your Grace for the continued support and guidance now as we are constructing the new church-the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus

Today, we come to God our father with a broken heart and in thanks giving for the many favours he has bestowed upon us. We shall always give thanks to the Lord for he is good and his love is eternal. We join the Psalmist (Psalms 100, 105, 113), to praise and sing the glory of God.

We have come from far. Last year, we could only visibly show the foundation of the new church; but today, the physical frame of the Church is standing. We thank our Parish Priest and the Building Committee for continuously rallying the parishioners, the Basic Christian Communities and the various categories of the People of God, the Parliamentarians, the Business Community, the Professionals; Teachers, Doctors, Medical Practitioners, Lawyers, Accountants, and many others who tirelessly joined hands in raising the required funds. We also called on the Ecclesiastical Provinces, the Archdioceses of Kampala, Mbarara, Tororo and Gulu; and they all came in to support this cause. Indeed, we are grateful!

This church construction project is broken down into four phases. Phase one was the foundation which was completed. Phase two; the columns and roof is ongoing. Phase three; the walls, gallery and stairs is also currently underway. Finally, Phase Four will be, the internal and external finishes including; plastering, the façade, ceilings, floors, doors & windows.

Phases 2 and 3, that is; columns and roofing, then the walling, are being executed concurrently today; and we need 512, 000,000 (Five hundred and twelve million) shillings to get them through. With the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Jude, it is our prayer and hope that we shall get generous hands to help us through this current stage of the project.

We are equally grateful to God that we have continued with the pastoral activities of the Church through our apostolate in the various departments for example; the Good Samaritans, the Youth, the Women, the Association of Saints Joachim and Anna, and all other associations that are critical in deepening evangelization.

I wish to recognize the eight Small Christian Communities (S.C. Cs) that are pillars upon which this Parish is anchored. These are St. Anthony, St. Balikuddembe, St. Charles Lwanga, St. Gonzaga Gonza, St. Kizito, St. Jude Nakawa Market, St. Paul’s Mobile, and St. Ponsiano Ngondwe (the Police) community. In all these, we have a representation of the people of God from all four Ecclesiastical Provinces (or regions of Uganda). The leaders in these communities are doing well as diligent pastoral collaborators.

We continue to thank our Main Pilgrims who have come in over the past nine days (novena) of prayer through St. Jude, and the support they have given us. We are grateful to our forefathers and parishioners who were so committed to the construction of the church and the upgrading of the Parish as a whole (the Naggulu City project). We pray that God grants them eternal peace.

On behalf of the Parish Council, the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Joseph Mary Bbuye, and our Curate Rev. Fr Marvin Lukyamuzi, I welcome you again, and May St. Jude continue to intercede for us in all our difficult and impossible cases as we continue to glorify God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Let us journey Together, in Communion, participation, and Mission.”

Tue 29, Oct 2024 02:10 am

NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST. JUDE THADDEUS DEVOTION OFFICE REPORT 2024

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“UNITED WITH MOTHER MARY AND ST. JUDE – WE REMAIN STRONG IN FAITH”

“NDI MUTUME MUWEEREZA – NTUMA”

“YUDA TADEO – ASHABIRA ABAMWESIGA”

“YUDA ALIYESAHAULIWA – HULETA MATUMAINI PALIPO KOSEKANA, NA KANISA JE? – LAMUHESHIMU KAMA MSAIDIZI KATIKA SHIDA ZIPITAZO NGUVU ZETU”

“YUDA TADEO OMUTUUKIRIVU – ATONGANIRA ABAMWESIGA”

As I write this report, I am so delighted and filled with joy as well as confidence that we are celebrating the feast of our beloved friend, St. Jude. It is now 31 years since the official inauguration of the devotion to St. Jude Thaddeus, which took place on 09^th July 1993.

Since then, we have been able to move freely within the entire Ugandan and Kenyan Catholic dioceses without discrimination. That is the reason for the numerous greetings at the beginning of this article.

The devotion has attracted many people both Catholic and non- Catholic. Many have received favors through his intercession and have given testimonies about this.

LEADERSHIP:

A. National Executive

The team has continued to work tirelessly executing their duties with deep love (devotion) and self-sacrifice towards the devotion’s progress. The team comprises of:   

NAME	POSITION	DIOCESE
Rev. Fr, Joseph Mary Bbuye Mr. Musoke Dominic Mr, Ssemwogerere John Baptist Ms Namatovu Winnie Mrs. Kasibante Teopista Mrs. Ntaki Victoria Ms. Namutebi Thereza Mr. Owor Alex Okoth Ssalongo Kalema Joachim Mr. Ruhweza John Maria	National Director   National Chairman   Vice National Chairman   National Secretary   Vice National Secretary   National Treasurer   Liturgy   Committee Member   Committee Member   Committee Member	Kampala        Jinja        Masaka        Kampala        Fort Portal       Jinja       Lugazi      Tororo      Kampala      Fort Portal

  ACHIEVEMENTS:

I. Novenas:

Solemn novenas are carried out both at the national level and in the branches.

Monthly novenas recited in small groups and also individually have kept members together at

the parish level.

II. Meetings:

Much as the attendance at the National level is low, it is through these meetings that we find ways to boost the devotion’s development, progress and unity.

III. Pastoral Visits:

We were able to join some branch meetings. We have been able to recruit new members in the following parishes and dioceses.

1. Nangina deanery in Bungoma diocese (Kenya).

From four (4) parishes to now (15) parishes. We managed to attend diocesan days.

b) Lugazi diocese

c) Kampala Archdiocese

d) Rwebisiriza and Ndibatta parishes (K.M.D)

e) Jinja diocese

f) Tororo Archdiocese

IV. Donations:

It was agreed that items donated during the different Novenas be distributed among the various dioceses. E.g.

During the March novena, items and cash collected for the needy (bakateyamba) were donated to Kasese diocese.

Tororo Archdiocese was the beneficiary during the July novena, and

Masaka diocese will receive the items of this October novena.

All the funds collected for Seminarians during the three novenas annual novenas are forwarded to the Archbishop’s office in Kampala to aid seminarians in need.

What do dioceses do?

I. All dioceses hold scheduled meetings at parish, vicariate and diocesan levels.

II. The following dioceses celebrated St. Jude’s feast at the diocesan level; Fort Portal, Masaka, Lugazi, Kampala, and Jinja. Nangina will celebrate it on 28^th October 2024.

III. They visit prisoners and donate items towards the prisoners’ daily needs.

IV. They try to fulfill their obligations concerning the contribution of funds towards the ongoing construction of the new St. Jude shrine and the national bag.

CHALLENGES

a) All levels experience a low turn-up of members during scheduled meetings.

b) It has been noted that there is a tendency of some members to plot against their leaders.  An act that is dampening morale and reducing the level of performance at all levels.

c) There is a need for pastoral visits, however, the availability of transport to various members is a challenge.

d) Some elected leaders do not carry out their duties.

e) Some leaders hold other positions of leadership in other devotions and this hinders their capacity to concentrate on spreading the St. Jude devotion.

f) Some elected members do not take their responsibilities seriously and this leads to:

    i) Not being able to faithfully serve the devotion.

   ii) Minimal contribution of funds towards the various activities of the devotion.

  iii) Lack of total commitment because of personal issues.

  v) Confusion due to there being many other devotions.

  vi) Lack of leaders in some branches because some elected members are not in a proper disposition for the Sacrament of Holy Communion, they fear attending the scheduled meetings.

OBITUARY:

The devotion has to date lost many of its staunch members in all dioceses.

Mr. Bukenya Matthew – Kampala Archdiocese

Dorine Auma Wafula – Port Victoria – Bungoma Diocese

Mathias Ondiro – Nangina – Bungoma Diocese

Sikolastika Oduor – Nangina – Bungoma Diocese

Ntonina Nansamba – Mubende – Kiyinda Mityana Diocese

Sylvia Kivumbi Nalwoga – Namasuba – Kampala Archdiocese

Stella Asiimwe – Kasese Diocese

Betty Kahuje – Kasese Diocese

Luka Bakulu – Kasese Diocese among others.

Eternal Rest Grant unto them O Lord and let Your perpetual light shine upon them,

May they rest in peace. Amen.

WAY FORWARD:

1. Continue with pastoral visits to branches at the grassroots for mobilization, sensitization, and training, encouraging and recruiting new members.

2. Encourage all devotees and friends of St. Jude to solicit funds towards the completion of the St. Jude Shrine.

APPRECIATION:

I would like to express my gratitude to the following persons for their continued support spiritually, financially, and physically towards the spread and sustainability of the devotion.       

i)  The national director Rev. Fr. Joseph Mary Bbuye.

ii)  Rev. Fr. Viatory Muvunyi. We wish you the best in your new assignment.   

iii) All priests at all levels for your spiritual support and guidance and most especially the priests who have celebrated masses during this years’ Novenas.

v)  I thank Kabale and Lugazi dioceses for their timely contributions.

vi) Great appreciation to you Mr. Ssenkumbi Francis for your timely logistical support.

vii) I thank all choirs that have animated during novena and at the different functions of the devotion.

viii) To all our family members for their support and tolerance.

ix) All leaders at all levels for your mobilization as well as your efforts at sustaining members and the devotion from the grassroots.

 

ST. JUDE DEVOTION DIARY 2024 – 2025

November 2024 - 15th February 2025	Pastoral visits to branches i.e. dioceses and parishes
3rd  - 7th February 2025	Preparations for March novena.
21st - 22nd February 2025	First National Executive Meeting at Naggulu
1st – 9th  March 2025	First National Solemn Novena to St. Jude at Naggulu and parishes.
8th March 2025	Recollection at Naggulu
14th March – 8th June 2025	Pastoral visit to branches
27th June – 28th    June 2025	Second National Executive meeting at Naggulu
Saturday 5th – Sunday 13th July 2025	Second National Solemn novena to St. Jude at Naggulu and the diocesan level.
20th July – 6th October 2025	Pastoral visits to branches
1st – 10th September 2025	Preparations for October novena and St. Jude feast
Sunday 19th – Monday 27th October 2025	Third National Solemn Novena to St. Jude. All pilgrims at Naggulu.
Monday 27th October 2025	National Council Meeting at Naggulu
Tuesday 28th October 2025	Feast of Saints. Simon and Jude. Diocese to lead??

God bless you all.

ST. JUDE PATRON OF THE DESPERATE – INTERCEDE FOR US.

Namatovu Winnie

National Secretary

St. Jude devotion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tue 29, Oct 2024 01:10 am

MESSAGE OF HIS GRACE PAUL SSEMOGERERE ON THE PARISH DAY OF NAGGULU PARISH

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My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the People of God in Naggulu Parish, accept my heartfelt greetings and congratulations as you celebrate your parish day. I call upon you, first and foremost to offer our deepest gratitude and praises to the Almighty God for the countless spiritual and material favors He has bestowed upon us all. Indeed, God deserves the glory and honor (Rev. 4: 11); for every good and perfect gift is from God, coming down from the Father (James 1: 17).

In a special way, I greatly thank you; Fr. Joseph Mary Bbuye, the Parish Priest, and all Priests with whom you serve, for your commitment, the pastoral zeal and  the fruitfulness in your entire Parish apostolate which are highly appreciated. Dear leaders, right from the Basic Christian Communities up to the leading Council of the Laity; thank you for the tremendous service of love that you are offering for our Mother Church.

Your theme of the day: “United with Love and Harmony (Col.3:14); Let us build Naggulu Parish’, rightly befits the day’s celebration.  When Jesus prayed for us in the Gospel of John, His primary desire was that we would all be one: “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name – the name You gave Me – so that they may be one as We are one” (John 17:11). I encourage you with the desire of Christ to remain one, walking together in faith as a family of God, in love of one another and in unity to build Naggulu Parish.

Unity for believers ought to begin at the level of the family before it can truly characterize the Church. God created families and wanted them to be united. He gave many specific instructions to families, but above all to love the Lord. As we strive to become better Christians let us always endeavor to always remain united in Christ our head.

I entrust you all to the powerful intercession of your Patron Saint, St. Jude to intercede for your endeavors. Finally, I invite everyone to make every effort towards being witnesses of the Gospel both in our actions and words taking the example of Saint Jude your Patron Saint. I confer my Episcopal blessing upon all of you.

†Paul Ssemogerere

ARCHBISHOP OF KAMPALA

Sun 30, Jun 2024 04:06 am

70 Years of Dispensing God’s Grace

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With heartfelt joy, I send cordial greetings to you dear parishioners and well-wishers of our Lady and St. Jude Parish Naggulu. Today we are celebrating a remarkable day in the history of this place; 70 years of existence down the road is a milestone worth celebrating. Let me use the words of the psalmist, “this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad” [Ps. 118:24]. Indeed we have a reason to celebrate this day as we glorify the Lord who called this parish into being. By celebrating Naggulu parish’s existential endurance for 7 decades, we are as well acknowledging God’s providential grace to His people.  He has never abandoned this place from its inception to date.

We are also celebrating the legacies of the 70 years of Catholic mission in Naggulu. So many people have been touched differently and now serving the Church and the State in various capacities. Looking at the fruits we have harvested over years, it is right to celebrate this day with great honours. In the spirit of upholding the legacies of our forefathers, let us take it upon ourselves to see to it that nothing of what was received withers in our hands. 

The year 1954 is remarkable in the history of this place. It was during this time that the concerted efforts of Bishop Vincent Billington in collaboration with Father Henry Steegmans brought about the establishment of a young Church. These were faithful custodians who through their teachings laid a firm foundation for Naggulu parish. But as you know, nature dictates that the course of our life is short; we wither and bodily life comes to an end, so it was the case with the founding fathers. At this point I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessors who picked from him (Fr. Steegmans); all parish priests and their curates who over years exercised spiritual, pastoral and moral stewardship. It was out of the tireless efforts of these animators of spiritual life that no wave has ever shook this parish to its foundations. I also acknowledge all lay leaders over years who dedicated their efforts to serve God at Naggulu parish in various capacities such as, catechists, executive committee members, sacristans, lectors, choristers and in all other capacities. However, some priests and lay people are now resting in the peace of Christ, let us unceasingly keep them in prayer.

Most of us at face value are looking at 70 years as the reason to celebrate, but here comes a question: What is the gist of this celebration? The most outstanding answer is that, we are celebrating God’s presence amidst his people. He has dwelt in the Church at Naggulu for the last 70 years, dispensing graces to His people through the celebration of sacraments by priests. The latter turns out to be the reality because Holy Mother Church basically sanctifies and teaches her children. These distinguishing characteristics draw us to the primary and sole mission of the

Church, that is, the “salvation of souls” [can. 1752]. Through the sanctifying office, priests as channels of grace have been celebrating sacraments here since 1954. All peoples regardless of the state of life have been receiving graces making them worthy to stand before God. Therefore, the gist of our celebration is embedded in the 70 years of unceasingly channeling God’s graces and love to humankind.

Again as faithful stewards of the word of God, we are also celebrating 70 years of defending the deposit of faith (word of Scripture and Tradition) as handed over by the teaching authority of the Church (magisterium) headed by the Pope which gives the guidance on the doctrines to carry forward. Naggulu parish through its priests and responsible lay men and women has in union with the Holy Father defended the doctrinal positions of the Church.  It has carefully without alterations of teachings directed the people of God ably well in terms of faith and morals. The teaching function is so important especially during our time when many people more so the young generation are torn apart by ungodly mundane ideologies, policies, propaganda and doctrines. With all these facts on our fingertips we can come to a conclusion that the Church at Naggulu is well represented as a mother and teacher. She has parented many in virtues as she plants the faith. Thence, we are celebrating not only years of existence, but also the visible impact of the existence on God’s people.

I invite you in the spirit of our diocesan theme, that is “We the baptized let us journey together in communion, participation and mission” to join efforts by picking from where our forefathers left the task. No one can carry on this role individually, let us pray that we may be permeated by the spirit of love and harmony as we build Naggulu parish. The characteristic of cultural diversity which defines our parish at times may scare the onlookers, yet for us it is our strength because we exploit the richness of every culture for the good of our faith. All other trial moments should not derail us from achieving the common goal. Further still, in the spirit of togetherness, I thank my immediate co-worker, Fr. Viatory Muvunyi and the executive committee headed by Hon. Margaret Nantongo Zziwa Babu for the commendable work being done as we seek to lift Naggulu parish to greater heights. 

Finally, I invite you to dedicate your energies and zeal towards spiritual, moral, pastoral and infrastructural development of our home, Naggulu parish. It is you and me to come up with good polices, systems and structures that will bridge some loopholes which have affected us for the past 70 years. Let us unanimously revisit the drawing board every now and then whenever need arises so as to re-strategize and come to terms with modern challenges. This will enable us to establish a lasting parish which our grandsons and daughters will live to witness. 

Rev. Fr. Joseph Mary Bbuye

 

Sun 30, Jun 2024 04:06 am

CONGRATULATIONS UPON OUR PLATINUM JUBILEE

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Dear Parishioners of Our Lady and St. Jude Naggulu; 

Allow me to welcome you all to this great day in which we are celebrating 70 years of our existence as a Parish. May the good Lord be praised!

I wish to congratulate our Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Joseph Mary Bbuye, our Curate Rev. Fr. Viatory Muvunyi, and also welcome as well as thank Rev. Fr. Kasule, who has been with us this whole month.  I would also like to use this opportunity to thank all the visiting Priests who celebrate masses with our Parishioners on Sundays, especially the 12:00 Noon Mass, the 1:30 pm Mass, and sometimes the 5:00 pm. charismatic Mass; namely: Rev Fr. Michael Abok, Rev. Fr. Camillus Chandini,  Rev. Fr. Peter Debo ,  Rev. Fr. Godfrey Guma, Rev. Fr. Angulia and Rev. Fr. Onzima.

I would also like to congratulate the New Parish leadership of which I am privileged to be one, the 18 members of the Executive Committee, and all the leaders in the Basic Christian Communities. Let us all thank God for this opportunity and pray for the Holy Spirit to enable us to ably serve the people of God and the Parish of Naggulu.

Special thanks to our former Ssabakristu Mrs. Margaret Sheila Matovu who led Naggulu Parish for over 13 years, to her Committee Members for their dedicated service and commitment towards the growth and development of our Parish and the Parishioners both spiritually and physically.

As a maturing Parish, I wish on behalf of the Parishioners, to wholeheartedly appreciate and thank our fore-runner Priests and Leaders, beginning with Rev. Fr. Henry Steegmans, the many Parish Priests some of whom were Monsignors namely: Monsignor Kanyi, and Monsignor Kamya (R.I.P).  They were pragmatic in spreading the devotion of St. Jude and established the many physical developments we currently enjoy. These Priests and Monsignors formed the foundation of the Parish on which we currently stand. Many of them have gone on ahead to be with the Lord. May we continue to pray for and remember them too.

On behalf of the Parishioners of Naggulu, I extend our profound appreciation to the Archbishop and Ordinary of Kampala Archdiocese, His Grace Paul Semwogerere, for his continuous support and guidance in matters of the general development of our Parish, as was done by his predecessor Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga (RIP) and His Eminence Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala.  As our Leaders, their approval and guidance meant a great deal towards the success of many of the innovations proposed by the Parish Council and indeed The Our Lady and St Jude CITY concept which gave birth to the NEW CHURCH PROJECT FOR THE NAGGULU SHRINE.  

When the Old Church was demolished 2 years ago (in April 2022) and the foundation of the new Church was being excavated, there were emotions of happiness and fear, and it could have been compared to that time when the children of Israel had left Egypt. Happiness because it was like we were going into a new Church which we could only see a picture of and its artistic impressions, and at the same time fear because it was not physically there and we had inadequate funds to build expeditiously and complete the new church. Then there was COVID which has also taken its’ toll on us. However, as St. Paul has always encouraged us and told us not to fear, we all then poured out all that we had in our hearts and aspirations to God and prayed through St. Jude. 

We then looked at how to marshal our resources, called on Devotees, family both home and abroad, and have so far made progress with the construction and finished Phase 1 through to Phase 2, and have now initiated Phase 3. We thank God that we have made it this far.  The Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Joseph Bbuye, the Chairman of the Building Committee, the team of Engineers, the Building and Fundraising Committees are acknowledged for their resourcefulness and drive.   An update on the progress has been put in a report by the Chairman of the Building Committee. All the other committees are also herein appreciated; the Finance Committee, the Fundraising Committee and the Prayer Committees. Thank you all for your individual initiatives.

Our Parish is composed of 8 Small Basic Christian Communities namely   St. Antony, St. Balikudembe, St. Charles Lwanga. St. Gonzaga Gonza, St. Kizito, St. Jude Nakawa Market, St. Ponsiano and St. Paul. Each of these Small Basic Christian Communities (BCC) are appreciated for the extra efforts they have put in to support the construction of the New Shrine. Fundraising initiatives have been made at the family level, especially in each phase, and the Tofali (brick) “harambe”.  These garnered a lot of funds from ‘Bubondos’. (SBCC’s).  The Parish Executive has visited all 8 ‘Bubondos’ (SBCC’s) and each has made contributions towards the Church Construction, this was in addition to the Christmas and Easter collections. We thank you all for these collections.  We equally appreciate those who have made donations but preferred to remain anonymous.

The fundraising drive towards the church construction has enabled us to draw in a number of segmented teams; i.e. the Professionals, Business Community, the Parliamentarians, the Teachers, Medical Doctors and Practitioners, Lawyers, Engineers and Accountants among others. All these groups donated generously, especially during the Novena. An initiative to fundraise in the different Masses also yielded considerable funds namely; the Daily 6.30 am, the 7:00am, and the  1:00 pm masses while not forgetting the positive response to this campaign too from  the GANAL,  Mbarara Ecclesiastical,Tororo Ecclesiastical and Kampala Ecclesiastical Provinces which have all made formidable contributions, we thank YOU  all. To the specific church groups like Catholic Women’s Guild and Men’s Guild, the Choirs, and the Youth; God bless you all for your individual efforts.

The Chief guests and Special guests who were the main fundraisers on assigned dates, beginning with the Honorable Ministers and Governmental officials, your contributions gave us a big push towards completing our task. Some Parishioners celebrated their Birthdays in the spirit of Church Development by raising funds which our Parish Priest also did; the funds generated enabled us make great progress in our Church Construction.   We are confident that St. Jude, the intercessor of difficult cases, will not abandon us.

We are proud to have a strong team of St. Jude Devotees, who lead in their respective dioceses in the collection of funds and also recognize and appreciate the contribution of all our Priests who have served in this Parish namely: Rev Fr. Godfrey Kyeyune (RIP) who was our Parish Priest as we were preparing to start construction, some of our leaders and brothers and sisters who have departed but were so dedicated to the Church construction and pray for their eternal repose. We pray for Mr. F. X  Kitaka (R.I.P)  who was Chairman of the Development Committee, Mr. Euzebio Katorogo (R.I.P) a former Ssbakristu and many other Parishioners who are no longer with us.  May God grant them eternal rest as we ask that they pray for us too and ask God to give us the grace to complete our Church as soon as possible.

May I use this occasion to thank the Governing Council, and the governmental officials who have answered our call for financial support and also acknowledge our neighboring Parishes especially Ntinda, St. Charles Lwanga, and continue to call on them not to tire of supporting us.

We assure our main Celebrant that in our 70 years of existence, we have also steadily grown in faith as depicted in the statistics represented. We have continued to register a growing number of Baptism of infants (24,624) with over 130 children baptized on Boxing Day in 2023. Many children have also been studying for their first Holy Communion, Confirmation, and Final Commitment. We have one of our sons from Naggulu ordained a Priest Rev Fr. Boniface Ochola and another is now in the Major Seminary of Alokolum in Gulu – Seminarian Denis Odiya.  We are glad that during this Platinum Jubilee celebration, we have 3 couples who have chosen to be joined in Holy matrimony and shall continue to strive for Salvation through our individual and continued service to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

HAPPY PLATINUM JUBILEO

Rt. Hon (Dr.) Margaret Nantongo Zziwa Babu

Ssabakristu , Our Lady and St. Jude Church, Naggulu.             

 

Sun 30, Jun 2024 04:06 am

NAGGULU PARISH AT 70

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Sun 30, Jun 2024 04:06 am

THE SQUARE METRE CHALLENGE

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Dear Parishioners and Devotees of St. Jude Thaddeus,

We appreciate your untiring efforts in fundraising for this enormous job. The parishioners contributed over shs 30 million for the Pillar of St Nathaniel. 

THE SECOND AND THIRD PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION

As you may have seen the banner, we are taking phase 2 and 3 at once because they complement each other, putting up the walls and roofing with Decra tiles from South Africa. The roof tiles will cost 400 m to install and the walling which include the concrete columns and the Gallery will cost 300m

In total we need to raise Shs.700m to complete these two phases.

METHOD OF RAISING FUNDS

The method we have come up with to raise funds is to enable each and every one to give something satisfactory to him/herself. You can buy:

A square metre of the roof @ Shs 180,000 or a single sheet/ tile @ Shs 80,000

A square metre @ Shs 75,000 or a cement block @ Shs 4,000.

You can secure your future in the new church if you buy a sqm of the wall and a sqm Roof at Shs 225,000. Buy for your family, parents. children etc. That’s why we have called it THE SQUARE METRE CHALLENGE.

Contributions may be made through the payment platforms displayed on the banner above. 

This phase will run until May 2024.

Thank you very much

Mrs. Grace Kariisa

Chairperson - Fundraising Committee

 

Tue 27, Feb 2024 07:02 am

ASH WEDNESDAY MASS PROGRAM 2024

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Tue 13, Feb 2024 09:02 am