Uganda Celebrates Centenary of St. Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga with Mass and Presidential Address
KAMPALA — Thousands of worshippers gathered at St. Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga in Kampala on Sunday for a thanksgiving Mass marking 100 years since its consecration. The historic celebration drew President Yoweri Museveni as the chief guest, who addressed the congregation on the role of Christianity in Uganda’s spiritual and cultural life.
In his speech, President Museveni congratulated the Catholic community in the Kampala Archdiocese and across the nation. He acknowledged that Christianity had “added value to our heritage,” noting that Africans already held a belief in God prior to its arrival, but said the faith had reinforced key concepts such as resurrection and forgiveness.
However, the President also voiced a nuanced perspective on certain biblical teachings. He expressed disagreement with the comparison of people to “birds that neither sow nor reap,” urging believers instead to follow the “parable of the talents” and the teaching of St. Paul that “whoever does not work, should not eat.”
“Work hard, get out of poverty, and support your families, the Church, and the State. That is true Christianity,” Museveni advised.
The event highlighted the cathedral’s significant history, which dates back to land donated by Buganda King Kabaka Mwanga II in 1891. The church was consecrated in 1925 and has recently undergone renovations. Dignitaries and church leaders emphasized its ongoing role as a unifying spiritual landmark for Ugandans.
The centenary celebration served as both a reflection on a century of faith and a reaffirmation of the cathedral’s place in the nation’s religious and cultural landscape.
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