Archbishop Lwanga: Brilliant prelate who rose to the top

Later that afternoon, all roads led to Lubaga Cathedral for a thanksgiving service and on March 1, 1997, Msgr Lwanga was consecrated bishop of Kasana Luweero by Cardinal Wamala.

During the consecration, Cardinal Wamala remarked that the birth of the new diocese was a major step in the many years of evangelisation of the region, which he said had started with the founding of Nandere Mission in 1889 by the Missionaries of Africa.

 The cardinal wished the new bishop a successful ministry, reminding him of what the Lord once said to Joshua- “Be strong and of good courage: I will be with you.” (Dent 31:23)
But how did he feel about receiving the news of his elevation and posting to Kasana-Luweero? Like any human being, he at first could not stop panicking.

In an interview he gave shortly after, Dr Lwanga told the First Ugandan chancellor of Kampala Archdiocese, Msgr Charles Kimbowa: “ I was at first very scared. I had never imagined being appointed a bishop. I was also scared of the huge task such appointment requires.”   

For the people of Kasana-Luweero, breaking away from Kampala Archdiocese and getting a new diocese was such great news and reason for rejoicing.
Besides, the newly appointed bishop was no stranger to them, having once been private secretary to late Emmanuel Cardinal Nsubuga and later to his successor Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala.

A long journey
When he first arrived at Kasana-Luweero, Dr Lwanga met with obstacles and major challenges, especially those associated with war-torn areas – poverty, low school attendance and ill-equipped health centres.

A vast part of the new diocese was part of the infamous Luweero Triangle, the war zone for both National Resistance Army (NRA) and government forces.

As if this was not enough, the newly-created diocese appeared bigger in size than what remained of the mother Kampala Archdiocese.
To his suprise, the diocese had only 25 priests and more than 20 nuns.
Many schools in the new diocese were in a sorry state, while the few health centres left a lot to be desired.

Bishop Lwanga’s philosophy was that preaching the word of God alone was not enough to transform the area. There was need to transform a “whole man”.  Area residents need both the word of God and development in order to be fully liberated.

By the time Bishop Lwanga left the diocese, the results of his work were visible to everyone. Most importantly, he never discriminated against anyone but treated people of different faith equally.

Not surprising, news of his transfer did not only badly affect Catholics in the area, but Anglicans and Muslims as well.

“The religion factor was so delicate and made his work here a bit easy. Bishop Lwanga worked with all people, although at first some Muslims took precaution, thinking that he was up to something,” Ponsiano Lule, 67, a resident of Luteete, said.  

Moving to Kampala
With the retirement of Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala in 2006, the pope picked Bishop Lwanga to replace him for the biggest seat in the Ugandan Catholic Church.

In Kampala, the news was greeted with great excitement with many reasoning that he was the best choice since he knew well all the Archdiocese’s corridors.

It was another home coming for him and the fruits of his coming were soon to be realised.
Bishop Lwanga came at the time when the 87-year-old Lubaga cathedral was in a very bad shape and with a leaking roof.

He immediately expressed concern and tried to involve everyone by introducing what he termed the Ssabasumba Annual Appeals Fund (SAAF).

Through this project, all Catholics were required to contribute to the repairs with children above seven required to pay Shs500 each while adults had to part with at least Shs1,000.

Surprisingly, within a blink of an eye, enough money had been raised and the repaires of the Lord’s house began. The Cathedral received a strong roof, new painting, electric wiring system, air conditioning, and new carpets, among others.

Since the arrival of Archbishop Lwanga so many developmental projects have taken off in the archdiocese. Some parishioners we spoke to, took note of some of what has been happening.
Albert Ssekitoleko, 41, a lawyer and resident of Nabunnya zone, thanked Archbishop Lwanga’s leadership for the new look of Pope Paul VI Memorial Community Centre.

“Before he came, this structure was more or less a white elephant and had been reduced to a warehouse status. It mainly served as a meeting point and hide out for Opposition activists unlike today when it boasts of a fully functioning hotel, restaurants and entertainment centres,” he remarked.

Adrian Mukalazi, 36, of St. Jude’s sub-parish Nalukolongo, said the achievement realised by Archbishop Lwanga’s era needs no elaborating but is visible for everyone to see.

“Just visit Lubaga Cathedral hill and see how it has changed within such a short time. There is a new parish hall, Virgin Mary grotto,  new magnificent building housing Centenary Bank, there is a new parking lot and washing bay, just to mention but a few,” he said.

Mukalazi also noted that there has been a tremendous improvement in the academic standard in church founded schools, whereas some mission hospitals were also having a better shape.
Fare-thee-well.

Background
Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga was born on January 19, 1953, at Kyabakadde, Naggalama in Mukono District, to the late Joseph Wamala and Matilda Wamala. He is the second born in the family of seven boys and four girls.

He attended Kyabakadde Catholic Primary School (1959-1963) and Nyenga Minor Seminary for his O-Level (1964-1971).

His next port of  call was Katigondo National Major Seminary in Masaka (1972-1974) where he spent three years doing Philosophy and other related subjects.

Archbishop Lwanga then  joined Ggaba National Seminary, where for four years, he majored in Theology and other studies to do with the apostolate of a priest.

He was ordained a priest by the late Emmanuel Cardinal Nsubuga at Lubaga Cathedral on April 9, 1978.
 After being ordained, Fr Lwanga was appointed private secretary to Cardinal Nsubuga before being sent to Paris, France, for a course in French Language, administration and bilangual secretarial.

He returned to Uganda in 1982 and was appointed Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Kampala and later substantive chancellor in 1984.
Fr Lwanga combined that office with that of the acting parish priest of Ndeeba and it was around this time that Pope John Paul II, in appreciation of his work, decorated him with the ecclesiastical title of “Monsignor”.
 
In 1988, the late Emmanuel cardinal Nsubuga appointed Msgr Lwanga the archdiocese’s second Vicar General and entrusted him with the work of building and renovating the Namugongo presbytery, shrine and surroundings.

In February 1990, when Archbishop Emmanuel Wamala took over at Kampala Archdiocese, he sent Msgr Lwanga to Rome to pursue a doctorate in Canon Law and a diploma course in Human Development.  

He returned in 1995 and was immediately appointed private secretary to the Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala.

Msgr Lwanga was also required to lecture Church Law at Ggaba National Seminary and at the nearby St Mbaaga’s Major Seminary.

Between 1975 and 1976, Lwanga headed  the drama club at Ggaba National Seminary, before being appointed assistant head prefect in 1977.
Around the same time, he was asked to train and uplift the standard of the Nsambya Catholic Parish Choir. Again in 1977, Lwanga was elected Dean (leader) of all major seminarians in Kampala Archdiocese.

Later when serving as a priest, Archbishop Lwanga was elected Chairman Board of Governors of National Teachers College Nkozi (1986-1988) and of Trinity College Nabbingo (1988-1990).

Between 1990 and 1991 during his doctorate studies in Rome, Cyprian Lwanga was elected Dean of the First Year students at the faculty of Law at Urbanian University while the Uganda Ecclesiastical students in Rome picked him to be their leader.

In 1993, he was chosen as secretary to the African Synod of Bishops sitting in Rome, becoming the first Ugandan to hold such responsibility.
Surely, Lwanga’s early days’ leadership qualities to his mentors indicated that a bright future undoubtedly awaited him.

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