By Constance Ichuma Asere
During a press conference held at the Uganda Catholic Secretariat in Nsambya, the Bishop of Fort Portal Catholic Diocese ,Bishop Robert K. Muhiirwa gave a briefing about how the 2022 Uganda Martyrs celebretations will progress.
Muhiirwa says as Fort Portal Catholic Diocese they would like to thank Uganda Episcopal Conference for choosing them to animate the celebrations .This news was received on Valentine’s day about us animating the celebrations .
He adds that the last time his diocese animated in martyrs day celebrations was in 1997 when the pilgrims were still limited unlike today where the numbers are over whelmed.The event is expected to house millions of people with pilgrims from allover the world.
This year’s celebrations shall be guided by the theme, Baptised and sent to witness Christ with love and hope .
He calls upon Christians and Ugandans through the hardships they face to emulate on the works of the Uganda Martyrs who by their faith in God endured the hardships they faced and they succeeded.
As a way of being organized ,the Fort Portal Catholic Diocese has selected an organizing committee which will be chaired by Rev.Fr.Charles Oyo ,Dr.Patrick Birungi as the vice Chairperson with other several committee members. As well as meetings which are going with in Kampala and Fort Portal .
During the president’s address to the nation on December 31,2021 he lifted the lockdown on January 10 with the full reopening of Uganda’s economy after the country had gone through a rough two years of Corona Virus which shocked most of Uganda’s activities .
The Uganda Martyrs Day celebration which is commemorated each year on June 3 always attracts millions of people from allover the country and the world at large who pilgrim to the martyrs shrines to receive God’s blessings but due to the outbreak of COVID 19 , for the past two years the event was celebrated scientifically.
As the organizers of the celebration the Fort Portal Catholic Diocese is still waiting for guidance from the government for guidance on how best these celebrations will be held.
The Choir of about 200 singers to animate this mass have already started making choir practices.
Various government officials from the region have been appointed by Muhiirwa to help the Diocese mobile the funds among the Kampala people for the event.These officials are Hon. Frank Tumwebaze ,Hon.Tom Butime .In a similar way various corporate and business bodies have been approached to help the dioces mobilize more funds.
Numerous press conferences shall be held continuously to update the country on the development of the preparations.
Muhiirwa calls upon all well wishers who wish to stand with Fort Portal to make this celebration a success to join them to raise the funds.The Diocese needs about Ugandan sh 1 Billion to make this event a success .
The money can be sent to 0753503354 /0771963204 both lines in the names of Robert K.Muhiirwa (Bishop Fort Portal Catholic Diocese) or the money can be banked into the diocese’s bank account with CENTENARY BANK ,Fort Portal Branch with the following details
Bank: Centenary
A/c: Fort Portal Diocese 2022 Uganda Martyrs Celebration
A/c No. : 3203286953
Branch:Fort Portal