How Mapeera became Kabaka’s doctor

On Wednesday, May 12, the Catholic church marked 131 years since Father Simeon Lourdel (Mapeera) died at Rubaga in 1890. 

Mapeera breathed his last at ten past one in the afternoon of the 12th May 1890.

Contemporary diagnosis later confirmed that he died of hepatitis at the age of 37. From New Vision archives, we bring you information about the man who became kabaka’s doctor

We often celebrate Uganda Martyrs but forget the men who actually brought them the faith that concretised their resolve in just a few years.

The missionaries Pere Simeon Lourdel (Mapeera) and Brother Delmas Amans (Amansi) arrived in the country on February 17, 1879, and by 1885, their fruits were strong enough to offer their lives for God. 

The Catholic Church in Uganda is in the process of Canonising them.

According to Emmanuel Cardinal Nsubuga’s book Obulamu bwa Mapeera, Mapeera even worked as Kabaka Muteesa’s doctor.  

Nsubuga says that on the morning of Wednesday, May 18, 1880, after the missionaries had been one year in Buganda, one of Kabaka’s guards called upon Mapeera, saying Kabaka wanted to see him immediately. 

Mapeera found Muteesa I in agony, his diarrhoea had lasted for five days and he was too weak to walk. 

Kabaka was always getting his treatment from Arabs, who had arrived in the kingdom much earlier. 

This time, he was choosing to entrust his life with the new missionaries. Mapeera gave him medicine. 

When he went back on May 20, to see his patient, he found the kabaka improving. Again on Friday, May 21, Mapeera visited and he had really improved and hailed.

Mapeera: “You are Buganda’s saviour.” 

By Sunday 23, Kabaka was fully fine and called his chiefs to Lubiri the next day. 

When Mapeera arrived, he openly praised him and asked Mapeera to choose his reward from kabaka’s cows, ivory and goats.

Mapeera replied: “Ssebo Ssabasajja, we the missionaries are happy to serve others. We did not come to Buganda to take your country. What you can pay us, is to let us teach religion in your kingdom.”

All the chiefs gathered at the Kabaka’s court, were surprised about Pere Mapeera, and wondered why he had rejected such material gifts.

Henceforth, Muteesa frequently relied on Mapeera whenever he needed medicine and advice. 

Mapeera was made in charge of all relations between the mission and the court. 

In fact, in Mapeera’s diary, he posted on June 6, 1880, how he had written to his superior Msgr Lavigerie, about how he had become the non-qualified doctor for the Kabaka, and had since, with the grace of God, treated and made him bask in good health. 

Who was Mapeera?   

  Mapeera was a local nickname for Pere Lourdel which was difficult to pronounce and they localised what Bro Amans was calling him: Mon Pere (My Father). 

Kabaka Muteesa I is the one who had written requesting for missionaries to come and teach his people. Mapeera and Amansi arrived on February 17, 1879.

Mapeera was born in Dury, France, on December 20, 1853, to Alberto Karol and Elista, who were a devout Christian family. 

He joined the minor seminary of Arras in the section of Holy Angels, France, in October 1861 at the age of 8. 

He was however expelled after five years in the seminary for returning late from holidays. He said he delayed while assisting his father at his farm.

When he finished his college studies at St. Ormer and Montreuil, he again applied and was accepted at the Major Seminary of Arras in October, 1872. 

He joined the White Fathers novitiate at Algiers and received the habit (cassock) of the Society on March 22, 1874. 

He took his Missionary Oath (life commitment) on February 2, 1875, thereby embarking on his theological studies under his superior and companion, Fr. Livinhac. 

Mapeera studied Arabic and became fluent as he prepared to embark on the Sahara mission as the mission to central Africa had not yet been established. 

He was ordained a priest on April 2, 1877, and sent to the Minor Seminary of Algiers as a professor. 

In October, he worked at Sahara Metlili, the mission was closed. Mapeera was then put among the first groups of White Fathers going to Equatorial Africa. 

The first caravan of ten white fathers left Marseilles, France on April 21, 1978, five destined for Uganda and other five for missions of further west. 

According to Cardinal Nsubuga’s book, Mapeera predicted in his Will before travelling to Africa that he may never return alive from the mission to equatorial Africa. 

He said if he was to die, he would like to be an obedient son of the Roman Catholic Church, to which he was glad to offer his feeble life.

 And he almost died soon after. Mapeera suffered a high fever on this first caravan and had to be carried in a hammock. 

According to Cardinal Nsubuga, the journey was a miracle. They traversed dangerous lands for the 1,200km journey from Zanzibar to Uganda, at the southern shore of Lake Victoria. 

At Tabora in South Tanzania, the whole group was so exhausted that they had to rest for a few weeks while preparing for the journey to Uganda. 

Mapeera’s health had been seriously shaken during the first stage of the expedition and he had lost much of his physical energy.

  The last part of the journey was as painful and dangerous as the first one, but when they reached the lake at Kageye, Mapeera volunteered to go to Muteesa’s court to explore the situation in Uganda. 

He left with Amans on January 20, 1879. They headed to Mutungo landing site but their canoe developed problems and started leaking and cracking on all sides. They were forced to land at Kyettale in Kigungu.

“We arrived just in time”, Mapeera later wrote in his diary, “our poor canoe, often repaired, was no good anymore except for firewood. It broke to pieces by itself and so completely that we had to give up any idea of using it any further.”

From Kigungu in Entebbe, they headed to Kampala and camped at Kisubi for the night. One of the pegs they used to erect their tent grew on to be a huge tree, which still stands and is referred to as the “Mapeera tree.”

The first audience of Mapeera and Amansi with the Kabaka was at Kitebi at Muteesa’s court. 

Mapeera’s talent for languages helped him to become familiar with Luganda fast enough to produce a small catechism within a year of his arrival. 

With the help of a friend from Zanzibar, Meftah, Mapeera and Amansi began teaching Christianity. Their first recorded catechumen was Paulo Nalubandwa.

Mapeera in Tabora

When the missionaries withdrew from Uganda for security reasons, Mapeera went as far as Tabora where he founded an orphanage for the children who had accompanied them in their exile.  

While in Tabora Mapeera fell seriously ill with fever, but as soon as he felt strong enough he undertook the long walk back to Bukumbi.  

When he reached the mission he looked so weak and tired that Fr. Livinhac feared he would not survive a longer stay at the equator: he decided to send him back to Europe. 

This was a terrible blow for Mapeera, but with his usual spirit of obedience, he left for Tabora once again on July 20, 1883.  

He had to stop there for a while to recuperate before taking the road to Bagamoyo. 

Mapeera was very weak holding his walking stick which was taken back to France and later preciously kept by the Mapeera family, until they offered it to late Emmanuel cardinal Nsubuga in 1972, together with Mapeera’s crucifix. Both objects are now respectfully preserved at Lubaga.

The time Mwanga acceded to the throne of Buganda recalled the missionaries to come back to Uganda.  

Mapeera resumed his apostolic work with exemplary patience. He said that God alone knows all the worries, the fears and the hardships he had to put up with. 

But as soon as it was possible to return to Uganda he was the first to come back, in October 1889, the following year in February he re-opened the mission of Lubaga.

Mapeera’s death

On May 12, 1890, the whole of Buganda was stunned by the news: “Mapeera is dead!” 

A few days earlier, as he was preparing to go to Ssese to fetch Brother Amans and Fr. Lombard, he was once again struck down with fever.

On May, 8, the fever seemed to increase and on the following days, the illness got worse and worse every hour.  

On May, 11, he told his confreres that he had prepared himself for death during the night, feeling that his end was near.  

They celebrated Mass in his hut and he received Holy Communion. His strength was declining rapidly but he remained fully conscious.  

His only words, apart from the prayers he constantly addressed to God and to Our Lady, was to say that he felt he could have done more in the service of the Lord. 

He even requested to be laid on the ground, saying that he was not worthy of dying on a canvass bed.  

His last recommendations to the few Christians who were allowed to see him were to entreat them to remain faithful, to pray for him, for their country and their king, and to practice the virtue of patience.  

That evening he received the Sacrament of the sick, at his request, and he answered all the prayers during the ceremony.

On Monday morning, May, 12, Mapeera was in a cold sweat; “I am going to die today” he said, and once again he generously offered his life in sacrifice for the salvation of souls.  

From 10.00am onwards he did not speak at all and his confreres joined in the Prayers for the Dying.  

Kabaka Mwanga sent word that he wanted to come and visit the dying Priest, and the Fathers told him to hurry if he wanted to see him alive.  

Shortly after, the pulse slowed down and only a slight shiver indicated that he had passed away; it was 1:10 p.m.  

Mwanga arrived just as Pere Mapeera was breathing his last and the unfortunate Kabaka Mwanga was so dumbfounded that he could not utter one word.

“Mapeera died at age of 37 the word spread like a bush fire, from every corner people of all creeds and all walks of life came to pay their respect.  

The Kabaka and the chiefs brought the traditional “mbugo” (backcloth) for the burial. The funeral took place the next morning and Mapeera was buried close to the chapel he was building at the time of his death.

The mission was later moved to the top of Lubaga hill, and on November 2, 1901, the remains of Mapeera, together with those of Fr. Denoit and Brother Pierre, were transferred to a chapel built by the Christians in the cemetery situated behind the present Cathedral.  

Bishop Henry Striecher, surrounded by 12 missionaries, presided over the ceremony. 

The book stated that Mapeera spent 12 years in Equatorial Africa, while Brother Amans died at age of 39.