Tororo Archdiocese: The proud leader of this year’s Martyrs Day

Fundraise. Members of the fundraising committee conduct final collections at Uganda Martyrs Cathedral Nyangole in Tororo last Sunday. More than Shs64 million was raised at the event to help the archdiocese in organising this year’s Martyrs Day celebrations at Namugongo on June 3.

What you need to know:

  • Today the Archdiocese of Tororo has seven Catholic-founded nursery schools, 347 primary schools, 25 secondary schools, 11 technical schools, and 1 teacher-training college.
  • This is the second time the Archdiocese is leading the celebrations to mark Uganda Martyrs Day, having led for the first time in 1998.

Sabella Awori cannot hold her excitement when you speak to her about June 3. The 56-year-old believes this year has opened her to an experience she never dreamt of.
Ms Awori will be an usher at Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo as the faithful celebrate the Ugandan Saints.
“I have always been serving in my parish at St Jude Catholic Church, Malaba, and never anticipated that I could have an opportunity to serve at such a significant function before I die. I am very excited and look forward to having devotions at the holy place,” she says.

Tororo Archdiocese, where Ms Awori hails from, will be leading this year’s celebrations. From as early as July last year, the different parishes have been preparing.
This is the second time the Archdiocese is leading the celebrations to mark Uganda Martyrs Day. The first time was in 1998. Archbishop Emmanual Obbo will be the main celebrant at this year’s celebrations.

According to Rev Kevin Musisi, the Vicar General of the diocese, who is also chairperson of the Central Organising Committee, they have done aggressive mobilisation of resources and they are well prepared.
“There has been positive response from individuals, Christians and parishes right from July last year,” he says.
Rev Musisi says out of the required Shs720m, they are only short of Shs56m, having raised Shs64m last Sunday at Uganda Martyrs Cathedral Nyangole, where Christians from 46 parishes that make up the archdiocese converged to raise funds.

He attributes the success to the high enthusiasm among the Christians and also a demonstration of in-depth faith among the congregation.
He, however, says as organising committee, they are still facing challenges of raising the remaining resources because most of their congregation survives on subsistence farming.
He disclosed that they also expect 7,000 pilgrims from within and outside Uganda including Tanzania, Kenya, DR Congo, Nigeria, Malawi, Europe and USA.
They have planned an evening dinner to be held at Hotel Africa on Thursday.

Rev Musisi says in order to make the celebration unique, they have incorporated French and Kiswahili languages besides other languages to be used during the entire celebrations.
“We want celebrations to be understood by all people across the world, so that no one is left behind,” he says.
The choir comprises members of the congregation picked from all the 46 parishes constituting a team of 450 members.

“A total of 350 are from the 46 parishes and 100 including dancers are members of the congregation living outside the Archdiocese but they were born in the Archdiocese,” he says.
He says the choir has been trained and are continuing with rehearsals.

About the arcHdiocese

The archdiocese is located in the eastern part of Uganda, about 235 kilometres from Kampala.
It shares borders with Kenya in the East, Bugiri District in the West, the shores of Lake Victoria in the South and Bukedea District in the North.
Records show that foundation for the Tororo Archdiocese dates back in 1901 when the first parish of St Anthony’s was founded by Father Christopher Kirk in Budaka then under Pallisa District.
It is written that the then Pope Leo XIII, had entrusted the Mill Hill Missionaries with the responsibility of establishing and developing the Vicariate of the Upper Nile.
This led to the growth of Vicariates, which resulted in the formation of the diocese.

It developed more in 1948 after the Vicariate of the Upper Nile was subdivided and the Vicariate Apostolic of Tororo established under Bishop John Reesinck.
Bishop Reesinck was later succeeded by Bishop John Greif in 1951, who later become the first Bishop of Tororo when it became a diocese in 1953.
But due to its growth and the increased pastoral needs, in 1981, the diocese was divided, leading to the creation of the diocese of Soroti with Bishop Erasmus D. Wandera as its first residential Bishop.

In 1999, Tororo became an archdiocese and James Odongo became the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Tororo.
The suffragan dioceses of the province are Jinja, Kotido, Moroto, and Soroti.
Today, there are 46 Catholic parishes in the 16 civic districts in the archdiocese of Tororo, which comprises Tororo, Busia, Butaleja, Mbale, Bududa, Pallisa, Kibuku, Sironko, Manafwa, Kapchorwa, Kween, Bukwo, Manafwa, Butebo, Namisindwa and Bulambuli.
Today the Archdiocese of Tororo has seven Catholic-founded nursery schools, 347 primary schools, 25 secondary schools, 11 technical schools, and 1 teacher-training college.
This is the second time the Archdiocese is leading the celebrations to mark Uganda Martyrs Day, having led for the first time in 1998.