Bishop Emeritus of Hoima Catholic Diocese, Albert Edward Baharagate, 93, has died, according to his predecessor, Rt. Rev. Vincent Kirabo, and confirmed by Fr. Dominic Ndugwa the Chancellor Hoima Diocese.
Bishop Bahagarate died on Wednesday from Nsambya Hospital. The cause of his death has not yet been made public.
Bishop Emeritus of Hoima Diocese Bahagarate Dies at 93
Bishop Emeritus of Hoima Catholic Diocese, Albert Edward Baharagate, 93, has died, according to his predecessor, Rt. Rev. Vincent Kirabo, and confirmed by Fr. Dominic Ndugwa the Chancellor Hoima Diocese.
Bishop Bahagarate died on Wednesday from Nsambya Hospital. The cause of his death has not yet been made public.
Baharagate was born on February 25, 1930 at Nyamigisa village, in Masindi District, to Isdore Kwebiiha Abwoli and Febronia Kabanaku Abwoli. After his early education at Sacred Heart of Jesus Primary School in Nyamigisa, which was later renamed Saint Dominic Savio Primary School, Baharagate joined St. Francis Xavier Kitabi Seminary in Ankole.
At Kitabi, he met other students including Sarapio Magambo from Kyaka, Tooro; Barnabas Halem‘Imana from Rurangara, Ankole; and John Baptist Kakubi from Birundama in Ankole.
Their paths would cross again later in their priestly journeys, including that joint episcopal ordination in 1969. Baharagate was ordained into priesthood on December 7, 1958.
With God granting him the gift of a long life, Baharagate is now the only surviving Founding Father of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
Established in July 1969, SECAM is a forum that brings together Catholic bishops from Africa to chat ways of preserving, fostering and promoting communion, joint action and collaboration.
Baharagate, the Bishop Emeritus of Hoima Catholic Diocese, is one of the 12 priests who were consecrated bishops during the first Papal Visit to Uganda and Africa.
Pope Paul VI himself consecrated the 12 at present day Kololo Independence Grounds, on August 1, 1969 during his three-day visit.
He was installed as the Bishop of Hoima on October 5, 1969, set off from an uncertain, complicated, and unstable start, which was defined by Uganda’s political, economic, and social upheavals.
Hoima Diocese had been created in 1965 with Cipriano Kihangire as its first Bishop. As Hoima was breaking away from Fort Portal Diocese, a young priest named Albert Edward Baharagate was due to travel to Rome, Italy to commence his doctoral studies. He had been ordained into priesthood seven years earlier, in December 1958 and was, among other duties, a Mathematics teacher at St. Leo’s College, Kyegobe.
Within two years of the founding of Hoima Diocese, Bishop Kihanhire was transferred to Gulu leaving the new diocese in the hands of a Diocesan Administrator and without a substantive bishop.
In May 1969, Father Baharagate returned from his studies in Rome and reported to his superior, a fellow priest who was the Administrator of Hoima Diocese. In his mind was an assignment as a parish priest but Vatican had different ideas for, in early July 1969, he received the news of his appointment as the new Bishop of Hoima Diocese.
He was installed as the Bishop of Hoima on October 5, 1969, set off from an uncertain, complicated, and unstable start, which was defined by Uganda’s political, economic, and social upheavals.
Hoima Diocese had been created in 1965 with Cipriano Kihangire as its first Bishop. As Hoima was breaking away from Fort Portal Diocese, a young priest named Albert Edward Baharagate was due to travel to Rome, Italy to commence his doctoral studies.