Kabale Diocese Bishop Emeritus Mary Gay dies
Bishop Robert Mary Gay
The former bishop of Kabale Diocese Rt Rev Robert Mary Gay has passed on aged of 89 in Canada, his home country.
But the leadership at Kabale Diocese and the Missionaries of Africa headquarters in Kampala where he was attached, said they were not aware of the cause of his death.
The Bishop of Kabale Diocese Rt Rev Callist Rubaramira described Bishop Gay as a “hard working church leader” who caused development and unity in the diocese.
“We received the sad news about the death of our former bishop Robert Mary Gay on Wednesday evening and we are arranging a memorial mass at Rushoroza Cathedral on Sunday to pray for his soul,” Bishop Rubaramira said.
The pastoral coordinator at Kabale Diocese Fr Bruno Byomuhangi says the deceased would be buried in Canada.
He said the deceased would be remembered for working for unity in the diocese that was in chaos after the retirement of late Bishop Barnabas Harer’Imana in 1994 as priests and Christians struggled for his replacement.
Bishop Robert Mary Gay was appointed the bishop of Kabale diocese in 1996 by Pope John Paul II after the diocese was facing a leadership crisis. He acted as an apostolic administrator for two years.
He brought peace and sanity by reconciling and uniting the clergy and Christians.
Observers say he was able to unite Christians because he was a foreigner who never belonged to any hostile local groups.
He retired in 2003. He is credited for setting up various projects in the health and education sector under the Catholic Church.
Bishop Gay worked as the superior general of the White Missionaries of Africa before being appointed as Bishop of Kabale Diocese.
The former mayor for Kabale municipality Dr Pius Ruhemurana who worked as the head of laity during Bishop Gay’s reign says that being the former superior general of the White Fathers in Africa helped him understand local issues which helped him resolve e wrangles in the diocese.
The first bishop of Kabale Diocese was the late Bishop Gervase Nkalanga (1966-1969), who was replaced by the late Bishop Barnabas Halem'Imana (1969-1994) before Bishop Robert Mary Gay took over in 1994 to 2003.
