Catholics commemorate 141 years of first Catholic Mass

Catholics in Uganda on June 25 commemorated 141 years since the first-ever Catholic Mass was celebrated in Uganda.

The maiden Mass was celebrated by the pioneer Catholic missionaries of the Society of White Fathers (Missionaries of Africa) on June 25, 1879, four months after the advent of Fr. Simeon Lourdel (locally known as Mapeera) and Bro. Delmas Amans, who arrived by boat at Kigungu landing site on February 17, 1879.

Fr. Mapeera and his confrere Amans could nonetheless not celebrate Mass because the portable altar, the chalices, hosts and wine, which they needed to have the Catholic Eucharistic celebration, had been left with their other confreres, Msgr. Leon Livinhac, Fr. Ludovic Girault and Fr. Leon Barbot, who arrived four months later.

According to records in the archives of the White Fathers, Mapeera yearned to have Mass and was the happiest man when his confreres arrived. The first mass was said in Latin by Msgr. Livinhac. His French confreres were concelebrants.

Mass is a very important activity of Catholic Divine Worship. It is during Mass that a duly ordained priest performs consecration rites, which turn the consecrated bread and wine into the real body and blood of Jesus Christ, the founder of the faith.

Catholics regard the Eucharist as the central foundation of their faith, without which the Church cannot be.

Every year, on June 25, hundreds of Catholics make a pilgrimage to Mapeera-Nabulagala (the current location of St. John the Baptist Catholic parish in Rubaga Division) to remember the great event of the first Catholic mass which was celebrated at this very spot, which was also the first ever Catholic mission station of the pioneer missionaries.

The place was given to the missionaries by King Muteesa I of Buganda, who had earlier given them permission to preach the faith in his kingdom.

The pilgrimage on Thursday (June 25, 2020) was unfortunately held in a low key and in a scientific manner, because of the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. Attendance was limited to a few people.

The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by the Vicar General of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kampala, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Gerald Kalumba, who in his homily, asked Christians to read the mind of God in the events of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kalumba said the suffering and helplessness that Covid-19 had subjected to all people all over the world depicted the power and majesty of God and the vulnerability of human kind.

"God has manifested his power and Lordship through Covid-19, which has made all people and nations of the earth very vulnerable. God has shown us that true security is not in fire-arms, atomic bombs, affluence, economic or political might. True security is in trusting in God, who created all of us," he said.

"Many people are crying out for food. They have nothing to eat. Nobody is coming to their rescue. Churches are empty. We cannot congregate to Worship our God the way we would like. What is power for then? What purpose does wealth serve? Let us pray to God to deliver us from this pandemic so that things get back to normal; that people can go back to their work; that we can congregate again and worship God in a dignified manner.'

Kalumba asked the Christians to have a deep understanding of the Holy Eucharist saying the Sacrament is not for pomp or show.

"When we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we commemorate the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we receive the Eucharist, it doesn't mean we are holy. Jesus died because of our weakness. He died in a shameful way so that we can attain holiness and become strong."

Kalumba later praised the pioneer missionaries, Fr. Mapeera and Bro. Amans for the sacrifices they made when they left their beautiful country, France and came here to bring the Catholic faith.

He said the many achievements of the Christian faith served as a testimony that the missionary activity of the pioneer missionaries had the blessings of God. He asked the Christians to pray for the beatification and eventual canonisation of Fr. Mapeera and Bro. Amans.

In his message that was delivered for him by Msgr. Kalumba, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kampala, Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga asked Catholics to emulate Fr. Mapeera's deep devotion to the Eucharist.

He said although they are not yet in a position to congregate and partake of the body and blood of Jesus during mass, they can yearn for the Sacrament as they also pray to God to end the pandemic.

The very Rev. Fr. Richard Nnyombi, senior member of the Missionary Society of White Fathers and reigning parish-priest of Nabulagala declared a Marian Novena, which will end on November 2 (2020). He said that when the pioneer missionaries arrived here in 1879, they dedicated this country to Mary, which was why it was right and just to seek the intercession of Mary during this challenging time of Covid-19.

As another prayer activity of the pilgrimage, the pilgrims also had the adoration of the Sacrament in front of the Memorial Chapel, where the pioneer missionaries were buried.