Kabale’s 6th White Father priest ordained, sent to DRC

Bishop Callist Rubaramira of Kabale Diocese at the weekend ordained the Rev Fr Anthony Nahabwe as the sixth priest belonging to the Missionaries of Africa, and deployed him  to DR Congo.
“I welcome you in the ministry of serving God. Be honest and preach the word of God. Be what you teach. Make your body free of sin. Always remember and imitate Jesus Christ because he is our hero of Christianity,” Bishop Rubaramira told Fr Nahabwe during the ordination at the Kabale diocesan headquarters, Rushoroza Catholioc Parish.

“Do not expect to be served but serve God’s people. Be our good ambassador where you have been deployed,” he added. 
The Missionaries of Africa, commonly known as White Fathers, is a Roman Catholic Missionary congregation that introduced the faith in Uganda.

The Missionaries of Africa assistant provincial team leader for East Africa, Fr Arsen Kapya, welcomed Fr Nahabwe to the family and asked him to keep trusting in God if he is to succeed in missionary work.
“Do not be scared of the different armed rebel groups in DR Congo. Preach to all the people about the love of God and the need to be united. I thank Bishop Rubaramira for accepting to ordain our colleague,” Fr Kapya said.
Mr David Bahati,  the Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Co-operatives, thanked the church leaders for supporting government programmes.

“I want to thank the newly ordained priest for his choice to serve God and his people as a priest. It is my appeal that the church continues to support the government in serving humanity. We must work as a team to ensure that our people get out of poverty by advising them to engage in a cash economy,” Mr Bahati said.
Fr Nahabwe thanked God, Bishop Rubaramira and his relatives for supporting his education since he was an orphan.
“After losing my parents at the age of eight, I thought I was finished but people of God supported my education until I attained this honour. I am grateful to the Bishop of Kabale Diocese and other relatives that supported me,” he said.

“I will always be grateful to God because it is him that used everybody that supported me to attain this honour,” he added.
Other priests from Kabale Diocese that belong to White Fathers include Fr Elias Mwebembezi, who is serving in Uganda, Fr Bonaventure Gubazire (Ghana), Fr Edison Akatuhurira (Rwanda), Fr Lawrence Tukamushaba (Zambia), and Fr Major Ivan Mutekanga (Congo).

The Rev Fr Anthony Nahabwe was born in 1990 in Rubira Kyanamira Sub-county Kabale District. He completed his education from Kabale Primary School and St Paul’s Seminary Rushoroza in Kabale. Between 2011 and 2014, he went to Queen of Apostles Philosophy Centre in Jinja and later obtained a bachelor’s degree in social sciences at Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi. In 2015, he joined St Mbaga spiritual formation centre for his spiritual year and between 2016 and 2017, went to Goma in the DR Congo for pastoral experience. From 2018 to 2021, he joined St Augustine University in Kinshasa (DRC) where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in theology.