Fr. Arthur Ssembaija
The Need
I am honored to be this year’s mission appeal preacher at Christ the King Catholic Church, South Bend on the weekend of August 8 & 9. This year’s appeal is in support of a project that is very close to both my home and my heart: the renovation of the seminary chapel in the Catholic Diocese of Kasese in Uganda, East Africa. This chapel is a sacred space where many young men continue to discern God’s call and prepare for the priesthood.
At this stage, the chapel is in need of a new roof, restoration of the ceiling, electrical installation, new church doors, fresh paint, sacred art, and other finishing touches that will help make it once again a beautiful and prayerful house of God. The total cost of this phase of the project is $47,590. I am deeply grateful for your generosity and support, and I warmly invite you to join me in bringing this vision to completion. Your gift will help renew a place where vocations are nurtured, faith is deepened, and future priests are formed for the service of the Church.
Thank you for sharing in this mission of hope, love, and faith.
The Missionary
I’m Fr. Arthur Joseph Ssembajja, ordained in 2017 for the Catholic diocese of Kasese in Uganda, East Africa. After ordination I was appointed as director of studies and teacher in the diocesan high school seminary – St. John the Evangelist seminary Kiburara. In the Fall of 2019, I joined the University of Notre Dame for graduate studies. I graduated in May 2022 with a dual degree – Master of Business Administration and Master of Global Affairs. Upon graduation and in consultation with Bishop Francis Aquirinus Kibira (my bishop in Uganda), Bishop Kevin Rhoades appointed me pastor of St. Anthony de Padua Parish, South Bend. I’m very honored to be this year’s Mission preacher at Christ the King Catholic Church, South Bend. Thank you very much for welcoming me to your parish and for your generosity.
The Mission
The mission I’m preaching about is the formation of local clergy in the diocese of Kasese. The Catholic diocese of Kasese, found in Western Uganda, was created in 1989. One key aspect for the sustenance of a diocese is the formation of local clergy. St. Pope John Paul II reminds us that, “there can be no Eucharist without the priesthood, just as there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist.” With this in mind, St. John the Evangelist seminary Kiburara was established in 1993 when St. Pope John Paul II visited Kasese. The seminary officially opened in 1995. Unfortunately, in 1997, St. John the Evangelist seminary was attacked by the ADF rebels from neighboring DR Congo. These rebels abducted some students and staff and destroyed property. When the ADF rebels were weeded out, the seminary tried to rebuild and continued to form and teach young Catholic boys. This seminary has produced more than half of the priests serving in the Catholic diocese of Kasese. After my ordination to the priesthood, the bishop appointed me to St. John the Evangelist seminary and thus this seminary is a very special place to me because it is my first priestly assignment. As a way of giving back to a place so special to me, I took on the task of renovating the seminary chapel where the young seminarians say their prayers, celebrate the Eucharist and spend time with the Lord as they answer His call.
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