Prime
Magembe turned Bukalango into a sanctuary of healing
Msgr Expedito Magembe
What you need to know:
- But Msgr Magembe, the Kampala Archdiocese's chief exorcist and the Bukalango Chief Priest, passed on at Nsambya Hospital last Friday. Rev Fr Pius Male Ssentumbwe, the chancellor, Archdiocese of Kampala, announced his death on behalf of Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere.
Bukalango rose to fame once Msgr Expedito Magembe received a spiritual call to establish Mount Sion Prayer Centre in the area.
Today, the once remote and uncelebrated village draws thousands of faithful to the sanctuary of healing and deliverance on Hoima Road, in Kakiri Town Council, Wakiso District.
The prayer centre has turned around the lives of many believers, with many embracing the end-of-month Mass, dubbed ‘Sangalo.” The Tuesday family tree prayers have also been celebrated for breaking the chains in the lives of the believers.
But Msgr Magembe, the Kampala Archdiocese's chief exorcist and the Bukalango Chief Priest, passed on at Nsambya Hospital last Friday. Rev Fr Pius Male Ssentumbwe, the chancellor, Archdiocese of Kampala, announced his death on behalf of Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere.
Msgr Magembe’s death has shocked many, especially the believers who have witnessed or experienced his powerful prayers for healing and deliverance.
But Kampala Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere urged the faithful to be calm, saying death is a natural occurrence that awaits all, and it is a pathway to heaven. He described Msgr Magembe as a servant of God who turned the remote village of Bukalango into a sanctuary of healing and deliverance.
"Msgr Magembe has been serving God’s people for a long time. He has been praying for those with particular needs and consistently preaching about Jesus’ death and resurrection. He truly lived a life of pastoral care and deep faith,” he affirmed.
The Rev Fr Philip Odii, the communications coordinator of the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), said he had known Msgr Magembe for over two decades. He revealed he had talked to him only a few days before his demise.
"Last week, I visited him at Nsambya Hospital. I prayed for him. I got to know him in the year 2000, when I was in the parish of Nyondo in Mbale, and he had come to conduct a retreat," he recalled.
“His work at the Bukalango has been amazing. He has been praying for people and inspiring them. He started the congregation of religious leaders, he started the Bukalango TV. So, I can say he has contributed a lot to the ministry of the Church, and I pray that we get somebody to continue with that ministry," Fr Odii said.
The Rev Fr Lawrence Ssemusu, the chaplain of Makerere University Business School (MUBS), said: “His death is a great loss, but we thank God for his ministry, because he rose from being a religious brother to a priest, a monsignor, and to founding Bukalango, a great place. He has been a great man of God who could cast away demons.
Archbishop Ssemogerere said Msgr Magembe had been sick for some time and had sought treatment from several places.
"We thank so many Christians and believers, especially those who attend his prayers at Bukalango, for the support they have been giving him during his sickness. It has been a massive support and we are grateful, but God has called him back home," he said.
