25 YEARS OF CLARETIAN MISSION IN UGANDA
Invited by the then bishop of Jinja, Rev. Joseph Willigers MHM, two Claretian Missionaries, Fr. Joy Mampillikunnel, CMF and Fr. Mathew Mundackal, CMF from the Province of Bangalore in India, arrived in Uganda as pioneer Claretian Missionaries on 28th October 1995. They worked as assistant Parish priests at Kamuli and Nawanyago respectively for over a year.
In January 1997, the Bishop entrusted St. Gonzaga Training Centre Kiyunga – Training Centre of Catechists and laypeople – to the Claretians. The first Claretian director of the centre, started by late Fr. Piet Kok, MHM, was Fr. Joy Mampillikunnel. The Claretian mission which started St. Gonzaga Training Centre Kiyunga with the catechetical training has diversified over the years in Uganda.
St. Claret`s Holistic Healing Centre (1997) was founded by Fr. Mathew Mundackal to promote holistic health among people through the use of natural and alternative healing methods. It is based on the use of therapies like reflexology, magnetic therapy, body massage, steam bath, mud therapy and the use of various herbal medicines. Today it offers both alternative and other regular health facilities.
On 22nd October 2002, the Jinja diocese entrusted to the Claretian Missionaries the Catholic parish of Our Lady of Assumption, Kiyunga. Fr. Joy Mampillikunnel and Fr. Mathew Mundackal were appointed as parish priest and assistant parish priest respectively.
St. Claret Vocational Training Institute at Kiyunga was opened in October 2009. The institute began its operations with 2 departments, 5 students, 2 instructors and one non-teaching staff.
Andres Sola PHILOSOPHY HOUSE, JINJA UGANDA
Claretian Novitiate House was opened in Jinja on 15th July 1999 with six novices with Fr. Aloysius Chikwendu (Nigerian Province) as the Novice Master, Fr. Peter D’Souza (superior) and Fr. George Nedumattam (econome). Over the years the Claretians became part of Philosophy Centre Jinja (PCJ) and obtained three acres of land in the PCJ compound to build a formation house for philosophy studies. Eventually, the novitiate was shifted to Kenya and the novitiate land was sold out.
ST. CLARET PARISH NYABWINA, MBARARA, UGANDA
The Claretians were invited to the archdiocese of Mbarara in the western part of Uganda in 2005. St. Claret Parish was blessed and opened on 24th October 2005 by His Grace Paul Bakyenga the archbishop of Mbarara. Before its bifurcation, Nyabwina was a sub-parish of Mushanga parish with a resident priest. Fr. Thomas Perikilakattu and Fr. Edwin Netlas were the pioneer Claretian missionaries in this parish.
St. Claret Nursery school was opened at Buringo in the year 2018 with Fr. Thaddeus Mchomba as the director and Fr. Victor Ponnaiyan as the administrator.
ST. CHARLES AND MATIA PARISH, KATUKURU, MBARARA, UGANDA
St. Charles and Matia Parish, Katukuru was formally erected on 7th September 2009 by His Grace Paul K. Bakyenga, the Archbishop of Mbarara and entrusted to the Claretians for pastoral care. Fr. Joy Mampillikunnel was its first parish priest along with Fr. Bernard Mari Joseph as his assistant.
Later in the year 2017, Fr. Mathew Mundackal began the alternative healing facility and today it offers conventional medical facilities.
TRANSIT HOUSE, NAMUGONOGO, UGANDA
The Claretians did not have a place to stay as they came to Kampala for different official purposes. As a result, a house at Namugongo was purchased in 2012. It serves as a transit house for the Claretians in Uganda. It was blessed and inaugurated by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Edde CMF, General Consultor in November 2012. Fr. Mathew Mundackal was appointed as the priest in charge. Our missionaries coordinate the Bible diary ministry from here.
BUTALANGU MISSION IN KASANA LUWEERO DIOCESE, UGANDA
The Bishop of Kasana Luweero, Rev. Paul Ssemogerere, invited the Claretains to work in his diocese. The Claretians accepted the invitation, purchased a piece of land for the construction of a secondary school in Butalangu. Fr. Bernard John, CMF was appointed as the mission in-charge and Fr. Mugisa Santos, CMF to take care of the pastoral needs of the Catholics in and around Butalangu.
God was generous to the Claretians with vocations from Uganda. Today we have eight Claretian priests and 32 students are in various stages of formation from Uganda. There are six Claretian communities in the four dioceses of Uganda with 13 missionaries rendering their services in Uganda.
