Former New Vision scribe ordained deacon

 JEAN-MARIE Muzeyi Nsambu, a former scribe of The New Vision, has been ordained a deacon in the Catholic Church.

He was ordained to the transitional diaconate on May 21, 2016 by Bishop Shelton Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux Diocese, at St Francis de Sales Cathedral in Louisiana, in the United States of America.     

Nsambu, a Ugandan, is a son of Hillary and Justina Wannyana Nsambu. He was ordained together with two other young men, Brice Higginbotham and John David Matherne in the Mass, whose attendance was virtually at maximum capacity. The two, Higginbotham and Matherne are US nationals.

Bishop Fabre was assisted by more than fifty priests and deacons including a Ugandan, based in Louisiana, Rev Fr Simon Peter Engurait. The occasion was also graced by two other Ugandan priests Frs. Stanslaus Birungi from Fort Portal Diocese, and Joseph Balikuddembe Ssemakula, formerly a Comboni missionary who was based in Darfur.

While Fr Engurait permanently serves as a diocesan priest of Houma-Thibodaux, his colleague Fr. Ssemakula, now a priest of the Diocese of Pensacola in Florida, is involved in the famous ministry of Healing of Families around the world.

Deacon Nsambu is a trained journalist, who also practiced law in Uganda, having obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University, as well as the legal practice diploma from Law Development Centre (LDC), in Kampala.

A former managing editor of the Leadership Magazine, a Catholic Publication of the Comboni Missionaries in Uganda, and a long serving youth leader for the Archdiocese of Kampala, the Ugandan deacon further holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs, also from Makerere University.

Delivering his first homily to a large congregation at his adoptive parish of St. Genevieve in Thibodaux, on Sunday May 22, Jean-Marie as he is fondly called, pledged to unreservedly serve God's people.

While ordaining the trio on Saturday, Bishop Fabre urged them to dedicate their lives to God. He reminded them of the words of Jesus, who said he came to serve and not to be served. He also implored their dedication to the ministries of service at the altar, proclamation of the Gospel and of loving God's people.

The transitional diaconate is the step to which a man is accepted by the Catholic Church, as he sets himself for ordination to priesthood. Being a deacon is the first of three ranks in the clerical state, the others being priest and bishop.