Msgr Katende cautions Ugandans on mushrooming religions

Oct 24, 2021

“These days there are many mushrooming churches and their proprietors are looking for their own gains like riches.,”

Papal Knight Emmanuel Katongole’s wife receiving Holy Communion from, Msgr John Wynand Katende at Sacred Heart of Mary Cathedral Lubaga during the holy mass (Photos by Juliet Lukwago)

Juliet Anna Lukwago
Journalist @New Vision

RELIGION

Director of Foyer de charity Retreat Center Namugongo, Monsignor John Wynand Katende has warned against mushrooming religions saying that they are being promoted by self-seekers.

He also said they are taking advantage of the vulnerable population by promising them miracles that never happen.

He said these promise them riches and wealth but they end up reaping them off. 

“These days there are many mushrooming churches and their proprietors are looking for their own gains like riches.,” Msgr Katende said.

Police deployment  at Sacred Heart of Mary Cathedral Lubaga during  Mass after the bomb blast at Komamboga bar

 

Katende said this while preaching in a Holy Mass at Sacred Heart of Mary Cathedral Lubaga where he represented Kampala Apostolic Administrator and Bishop of Kasana-Luweero, Paul Ssemogerere. There was police deployment after the bomb blast at Komamboga.  

In the same Mass, Catholics in Uganda joined the Catholic Church worldwide to celebrate “World Mission Sunday” day, the day when the entire global Catholic Church comes together in support of the mission.

He explained that “World Mission Sunday” is the only day in the year when every parish, in every diocese celebrates mission, as a moment of grace to express solidarity with brothers and sisters in Christ who are living in situations of poverty, violence and oppression.

The day was celebrated under the theme “we cannot, but speak about what we have seen and heard.”

He said the theme was given by Pope Francis as a summon to each of the Christians to own and bring to others what they bear in their hearts.

Katende was assisted by National Director of the Pontifical Mission in Uganda Episcopal Conference, Fr Pontian Kaweesa, Chancellor of Kampala Archdiocese, Fr Dr Pius Male Ssentmbwe, assistant director of Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) department in Kampala, Fr Dr Ambrose Bwangatto and among others.

Other prominent people were Papal Knight and chairman of CIPLA, Emmanuel Katongole, head of laity Kampala, Ivan Kalanzi, former Lubaga South, Eugenia Nassolo and Good Samaritan members from different parishes in Kampala Archdiocese.

According to Katende, Pope Francis said this is the time Christians have to help challenged people as the world goes through COVID-19.

He said mission starts from the families adding that Pope Francis encourages youth to participate in evangelism

Fr. Kaweesa called for prayers and donations to the needy as the world celebrates World Mission Sunday.

“All of us members of the Catholic Church have been encouraged to reach out to the rest of the world by offering prayers and material support that will strengthen missionary activities in hardship areas.”

“Mission Sunday is an opportunity for each member of the Church to assess how they can actively participate in the evangelisation mission in our respective vocations to ensure that our brothers and sisters who have not received the good news can receive it, and those who have received it and have grown weak are encouraged to get up and be resilient to promote and live the Gospel,” Kaweesa said.

Kaweesa explained that this day brings together all agents of evangelisation including members of the clergy, religious men and women, and the laity who execute the missionary role of the Church in different ways.

Meanwhile, Fr Bwangatto the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Archdiocese of Kampala started in 1980’s and became a department in the Archdiocese and since then it has been sensitising the faithful to realise that they are part of the one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

They are being sensitised to cooperate in the mission of the Church offering prayer and whatever material support they can for the mission of the Church. Every year, three Sundays dedicated to the Pontifical Mission Societies are marked throughout the Archdiocese, they are; Vocations Sunday, Missionary Childhood Sunday and Mission Sunday. On these Sundays prayers are offered and offerings in the form of money are collected in support of the mission of the Church and are sent to Rome to help the mission.

For example, these include money Pope Benedict XVI got  and donated about sh62m (by then worth $30,000) to help victims of the landslide that buried three villages and displaced hundreds Nametse, Kubweho and Namanga villages in Bududa district on March 1, 2010, through the Apostolic Nuncio, Paul Tschang In-Nam who was his representative to Uganda by then. 

He added that “every shilling coin collected on pontifical Mission Societies Day in all Catholic Dioceses are sent to the Vatican to support the mission to help  promote the work of the Church everywhere in the world.”

Bwangatto explained that these funds raised build much-needed infrastructure, from chapels and schools to orphanages, clinics and dispensaries.

On Saturday before the celebrations, the Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) department in Kampala Archdiocese donated items to residents in Namayumba in Wakiso district.

 

Comments

No Comment


(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});