STAFF REPORTER
The Kabale Diocese has commissioned its third Pilgrimage Center at Mutolere Deanery, a major milestone in the diocese’s preparations for the 2025 Jubilee Year under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” The ceremony, marked by spiritual fervor and community participation, also served as a platform for a strong call to preserve national unity in the face of growing political polarization.
Held on Sunday at St. George Pre and Primary School in Nyakabande Sub-county, Kisoro District, the event was led by the Vicar General of Kabale Diocese, Msgr. John Vianney Sunday, and drew thousands of pilgrims from across the region. It featured the symbolic opening of the Holy Door, an act that grants a plenary indulgence to faithful Catholics under prescribed spiritual conditions.
Speaking during the homily, Kabale Diocese Pastoral Coordinator Rev. Fr. Fidelis Ndagijimana emphasized the spiritual significance of pilgrimage while warning against the growing trend of divisive politics in Uganda. He described such political strategies as threats not only to governance but also to the social fabric of the country.
“Divisive politics erode public trust in leadership, weaken institutions, and threaten our collective progress,” Fr. Ndagijimana said. “Ugandans must reject this dangerous trend and work toward unity, inclusion, and national healing.”
Fr. Ndagijimana also used the occasion to express concern over declining parental engagement, attributing increasing youth indiscipline and moral gaps to weakened family structures. “Our homes must become the first schools of virtue,” he said, calling on parents to be more present in their children’s moral and educational development.
Mutolere Dean Fr. Joseph Sebatwale urged the congregation to embrace the Holy Door as a symbol of spiritual renewal for families and communities. Meanwhile, laity leader Asigariyo Turyagyenda commended the diocese’s Jubilee Year initiatives, particularly through Caritas programs, which he said are restoring hope and reinforcing faith-driven development.
The Kabale Diocese’s Jubilee Year plan involves the establishment of pilgrimage centers across its major deaneries. With Mutolere joining Makiro (Kanungu District) and Nyakibale (Rukungiri District), the diocese is deepening grassroots spiritual participation while integrating social development themes.
According to Church doctrine, pilgrims who pass through the Holy Door and meet the spiritual requirements—sacramental confession, reception of the Eucharist, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions—are eligible for a plenary indulgence as defined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1471).
