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Historical records from various sources indicate that the first official pilgrimage to Namugongo was made by the Mill Hill Fathers, led by Rev. Fr. Stephen Walters. This significant event took place on June 6, 1920—the very day Pope Benedict XV beatified the Uganda Martyrs.
Namugongo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As pilgrims from across Uganda and beyond converge on Namugongo for the 2025 Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations, Lugazi Diocese, this year’s host, brings to the forefront a powerful but often overlooked chapter in the country’s Christian history: the legacy of the Mill Hill Missionaries.
While the Uganda Martyrs’ story is most commonly linked to the White Fathers (Missionaries of Africa), who arrived in 1879 led by Fr. Lourdel “Mapeera” and Brother Amans, the Mill Hill Missionaries also played a vital role in the spread of Catholicism and also have a contribution to the story of the Uganda Martyrs.
“They undoubtedly laid the foundation for what is now Lugazi Diocese,” said Msgr Richard Kayondo, the Vicar General of Lugazi Diocese, as he explained the role played by the Mill Hill Missionaries
“They were among the earliest to honour the Uganda Martyrs in a formal and organized way. Not only did they play a crucial role in spreading the faith in eastern Uganda, but they also championed the memory and cause of the young converts who had courageously shed their blood for Christianity.”
Historical records from various sources indicate that the first official pilgrimage to Namugongo was made by the Mill Hill Fathers, led by Rev. Fr. Stephen Walters. This significant event took place on June 6, 1920—the very day Pope Benedict XV beatified the Uganda Martyrs.
Following that pilgrimage, Rev. Fr. Walters proposed the idea of constructing a church over the grave of St. Charles Lwanga, at the very site where twelve of the martyrs had been burned. His vision marked an important step in preserving the sacred memory of the martyrs and laid the groundwork for what would become a major center of pilgrimage for Christians across the world.
The Mill Hill Fathers had established a church at Namugongo that stood for over 30 years, serving as a place of worship and a symbol of their early missionary work in the area. However, when plans for the construction of the current basilica were initiated, the original church was demolished to make way for the new structure.
First Church at Namugongo demolished
The demolition stirred mixed emotions.
Some Mill Hill Missionaries, along with members of the local community they had evangelized, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the historic church. There were also tensions with the new administration under the Archdiocese of Lubaga, which had taken over the oversight of the site. For many, the old church was more than just a building; it was a testament to decades of missionary dedication, sacrifice, and community faith.
Founded in England, the Mill Hill Fathers were invited to Uganda in the early 1890s at the request of Bishop Livinhac, head of the White Fathers. In a letter to Cardinal Herbert Vaughan in January 1892, Livinhac emphasized the urgency of having English missionaries in Uganda.
“(Bishop) Livinhac had told Vaughan in January 1892 that it was urgent to have English missionaries in Uganda… Livinhac proposed he would give up the northeastern portion of the Nyanza Vicariate,” wrote Fr Robert O’Neil in a book titled Mission to the Upper Nile. One of the reasons for this shift, according to H. P. Gale in his 1959 book, Uganda and the Mill Hill Fathers, was to counter the widespread belief among local communities that Protestantism was tied to the English, while Catholicism was inherently French. This notion had taken root in the Protestant-dominated eastern Buganda region, where Anglican missionaries had established strongholds.
The first group of Mill Hill missionaries departed from London on May 9, 1895, and after a challenging journey, they arrived in Kampala on September 6 that same year. They quickly established their headquarters at Nsambya hill where they built the St. Peter Proto (former) Cathedral, which became a center for evangelization, education, and healthcare.
Named the Vicariate of the Upper Nile, the mission expanded eastward, encompassing what is now Lugazi Diocese and extending further into the Busoga region, Bugisu, Bukedi, and Teso, and as far as a big part of what is now western Kenya. Just ten months after their arrival in Uganda, the Mill Hill Missionaries opened their first outstation at Naggalama in July 1896.
Interestingly, the land for this mission was generously donated by a Protestant chief, Thomasi Semukassa. Most of their early evangelization efforts were concentrated in this area of Kyagwe (or what one can currently call greater Mukono), including the establishment of their third mission station at Mulajji, in some books spelt as Mulajje.
Mulajje, known today as Nkokonjeru, meaning “the white hen”, has a name rooted in local folklore. It is said the area was named after a Mukowe tree that had been struck by lightning. In Ganda tradition, lightning was believed to be the fiery hammer (nyondo) of the gods, often imagined as accompanied by a mystical white hen. This hen, running on flaming feet, was thought to scorch banana plantations and destroy whatever lay in its path.
The tree that had been hit by lightning was venerated as the dwelling place of a Lubale (spirit), making the site a feared center of traditional worship. “It was in this dark haunt of paganism that the new mission started. But the mission was full of hope,” Gale wrote.
Later, mission stations were established in Nyenga (formerly called Busale), Nazigo, Kome, and the Buvuma Islands. Today, these have developed into strong Catholic centers within Lugazi Diocese, each growing into vibrant institutions that include hospitals, schools, farms, and other community services.
Mother Kevin arrives
In 1902, the mission was further strengthened by the arrival of the Franciscan Sisters from St. Mary’s Abbey, Mill Hill, led by Kevin Teresa Kearney. These would later be instrumental in the area.
Their care for the sick and vulnerable at Nsambya marked the beginning of a significant Catholic healthcare tradition in Uganda. Later, Mother Kevin went on to found a congregation of nuns known as the Little Sisters of St. Francis, whose impactful work in Lugazi and beyond speaks for itself.
Back in 1902, Bishop Hanlon had already begun laying the groundwork for education within the vicariate. Several letters written from Naggalama and Nazigo reveal his plans in detail, including references to the construction of school buildings, benches, and the use of blackboards. That same year, St. Peter’s Primary School in Nsambya opened its doors.
However, its first permanent structure would not be built until five years later, when the school enrolled 40 boys. By 1909, the school had grown enough to be converted into a secondary school, what we now recognize as one of Uganda’s prominent educational institutions.
“In English, a class can be formed from those who show the most promise,” Bishop Hanlon wrote at the time, as quoted by Fr. O’Neil. And with those early steps, the foundation for the celebrated Catholic education system in Lugazi was laid.
Naggalama would receive its first school in 1910 when Gerald Mulder introduced an assistant to help catechists teach literacy. He brought with him a cloth painted with the letters of the alphabet. “The catechists, many of whom could not read or write, were instructed at the mission on how to teach the alphabet,” he added.
Focus on education
Mill Hill’s commitment to education also led to the founding of Namilyango College. This institution was born out of a 1901 request by Stanslaus Mugwanya, one of the regents of Kabaka Daudi Chwa, who wrote to the White Fathers’ superior in Algiers asking for a school offering higher education. In 1902, Katikkiro Apolo Kagwa made a similar appeal to Bishop Hanlon.
Responding to these calls, the Catholic Church opened a college in March 1902 with an initial enrollment of 10 boys—mostly princes including sons of Kiweewa and Kalema, (both short-lived kings of Buganda) whose children had embraced Catholicism.
During the Second Vatican Council, which concluded in 1965, the call for indigenous leadership in the Catholic Church took center stage. That same year, Bishop Joseph Billington of the Mill Hill Missionaries stepped down from leading the then Kampala Diocese—which at the time covered areas now within Lugazi and beyond, with its headquarters based in Nsambya.
In 1966, a major restructuring followed, with parts of the old Kampala Diocese being merged with the Archdiocese of Lubaga to form what is now the Kampala Archdiocese. Emmanuel Nsubuga—later elevated to Cardinal—became its first Archbishop.
Three decades later, in November 1996, the Diocese of Lugazi was officially established, restoring a regional identity that once lay at the heart of Mill Hill missionary efforts. Bishop Matthias Ssekamanya, until then serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Kampala, was appointed as first Bishop of the new diocese, marking a new chapter in the Church’s growth in eastern central Uganda.
As Lugazi Diocese leads the national Martyrs Day commemoration at Namugongo this year, officials say it not only honors the Uganda Martyrs but also pays tribute to the Mill Hill Missionaries who planted and nurtured the faith across the region. Their legacy, one of humility, perseverance, and unwavering service, continues to shape the life of the Church more than a century later.
“We thank God that the work of the early missionaries has borne such great fruit across our diocese—from Naggalama to Nkokonjeru, Namiryango to Buvuma, and back to Namagunga, the first and oldest parish in our diocese founded by our ancestors in faith after Nsambya,” said Rev. Fr. Joe King, MHM Regional Superior for Uganda and Kenya, in his message as Lugazi Diocese marked its 25th anniversary. “We are proud that to this day, the Mill Hill Missionaries remain present and active in the diocese.” he added.
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