Legion of Mary in Uganda
Eggye lya Bikiira Maria
Formation24 September 1938 (1938-09-24)
FounderServant of God Frank Duff
TypeCatholic lay society
Marian devotional society
HeadquartersSt. Balikuddembe, Mengo-Kisenyi Parish, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala
Membership (2020)
Approx. 400,000
Official language
English
Websitesenatusofuganda.org

The Senatus of Uganda is the highest governing Council of Legion of Mary (Latin: Legio Mariae, postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) in Uganda[1][2][3] that reports to Concilium Legionis Mariae.[4] Legion of Mary is a voluntary organisation whose membership are members of the Roman Catholic Church at the service of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

History

Legion of Mary started on 7 September 1921. It mainly operated in Dublin Diocese due to mistrust developed because of its then-unusual dedication to lay apostolate until 1931 when Pope Pius XI praised the movement.[5] Venerable Edel Quinn volunteered as an envoy of Legion of Mary[6] to East and Central Africa.[7] She set sail for Africa from Tilbury in London (where she had been for extension work) on 30 October 1936.[8] She arrived in Uganda on 22 July 1938.[9]

On arrival, Edel Quinn met the then Henri Streicher, Vicar Apostolic of Northern Victoria Nyanza who accepted her to establish the Legion of Mary. She travelled to the mother house of the congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Africa in Nkokonjeru in the current Lugazi Diocese where she established the first Praesidium in Uganda at Nkonkojeru PTC on 24 September 1938. The presidium was called "Our Lady of Mercy" because 24 September was the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy.[10][11]

It should be remembered that 1939 was the beginning of World War II and it had an effect on consideration in English colonial countries and others like Tanganyika that had strong German connections. Edel continued her work regardless of the fuel rations among others.

She also visited other places in Kachumbala (Eastern Uganda), Christ the King Parish, Mulago, Nabbingo among others.

Growth

The Praesidia started by Venerable Edel Quinn and some of the members she trained spread the Legion of Mary to different other places and started up Curia that later grew between 1956 and 1957 to Comitium that was established in Kampala. Uganda was under the Kampala Comitium until 20 May 1962 when Kampala was granted Senatus from Senatus of East Africa by Concilium. The inauguration was attended by among others Archbishop Joseph Kiwánuka. Prof. Dr. Raphael Owor was the first President of both the Comitium and the Senatus of Uganda. He was succeeded by Prof Charles Olweny as the 2nd President of Senatus of Uganda.

In the East (Tororo Archdiocese), Mother Kevin (Rev. Sr. Kevin), the founder of the congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Africa asked Teacher Mary Ester Nyakecho (RIP) to take Legion of Mary to Nagongera, St. Joan's Ssesera Girls primary school in 1946.

In the West (Mbarara Archdiocese), the nuns that were among the Legionaries that Edel Quinn had trained to help in the extension work travelled to Western Uganda in 1949. They started 4 Praesidia at Kitabi girls in Bushenyi District, Mbarara Primary Teachers' College in Mbarara District, Nyakibaale Primary Teachers' College in Rukungiri District and Ibanda Primary Teachers' College in Ibanda District.

The Senatus made efforts to extend Legion of Mary to the different parts of Uganda like areas of Mbarara,[12] Soroti, among others.

Spiritual directors

The spiritual directors are the 1st officers of the Legion of Mary.[13] Senatus of Uganda has had the following spiritual directors.

Current and past spiritual directors of Senatus of Uganda
Name Took office Left office Description
1 Fr. Agostoni Tarcisio 1962 1969 Comboni Missionary that served Uganda for 34 years and succumbed to cancer on 15 January 2012. He is remembered as one of the founders of Radio Maria apostolate in Bbiina.[14]
2 Fr. Joseph Mukwaya 1969 1971 He was later appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Kampala and later Bishop of Kiyinda-Mityana. He died on 5 September 2008.[15]
3 Fr. Emmanuel Wamala 1971 1974 He was later appointed first Bishop of Kiyinda-Mityana, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kampala and then elevated to Cardinal in 1994.[16]
4 Fr. J. Galdes 1974 1978
5 Fr. Caesar Mutyaba 1978 1985 He served also as the Episcopal vicar of Kampala, Kiyinda-Mityana and Ssezzibwa. He was a resident of St Mbaaga Seminary Ggaba[17] for over twenty years. Pope Benedict XVI promoted Fr. Mutyaba to title of Monsignor in 2008 in appreciation of his service to the church. He passed on in July 2012.[18]
6 Fr. Larry Kanyike 1985 1986 By that time, he served as the Chaplain of St. Augustine Chaplaincy, Makerere University. He was later transferred to St. Joseph's Catholic Parish, Kyengera. He was elevated to Monsignor by retired Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.[19]
7 Fr. John Mary Bukenya 1986 1991
8 Fr. Vincent Kanyonza 1991 1993
9 Fr. Expedito Walakira 1993 2021 He is the Longest serving Spiritual Director of Senatus of Uganda. Fr. Walakira succumbed to Cancer on 18 May 2021.[20][21][22]
Fr. Ronnie Mubiru (Assistant) 2018 2021 When the health of Fr. Walakira weakened, Rev. Fr. Ronnie Mubiru was appointed as his vice.
10 Fr. Ronnie Mubiru 2021 He was appointed by the Uganda Episcopal Conference on 29 November 2021[23]
Fr. Protase Rutaremwa (Assistant) 2022 Appointed by the Uganda Episcopal Conference effective 8th December 2022[24]

Structures

Legion of Mary has its basic unit called a Praesidium,[25] which is normally based in a sub parish. In case a sub parish does not have Legion of Mary, approach the Parish Priest and see how to start one. Praesidia hold a weekly meeting lasting at most one and a half hours in which they are assigned work to do in the course of the week. Two or more Praesidia in a city, town, or district form a Curia. In Uganda, most Curia are situated at the Parish. Different Curiae in an area may have one of them raised to form a Comitium. In Uganda, there are 25 Comitia that report directly to Senatus of Uganda.[26]

Next to Comitia is the Regia, a title designated to a Council that exercises authority of Legion of Mary in a Large area. In Uganda, there are two Regia i.e. Regia of Western Uganda supervising Legion of Mary in Mbarara Archdiocese, Fort portal Diocese and Kasese Diocese and then Kabale Regia that supervises Legion of Mary in Kabale Diocese.

Senatus of Uganda holds its meetings once a month on the third Sunday of the month.

In Uganda, Legion of Mary has a total of approximately 400,000 members that include active Legionaries, Auxiliaries, Adjutorians and Praetorians.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Summers, Carol (2009). "Catholic Action and Ugandan Radicalism: Political Activism in Buganda, 1930-1950". Journal of Religion in Africa. 39 (1): 60–90. ISSN 0022-4200. JSTOR 20696796.
  2. ↑ God, the grace of; Members, Has Grown into a Worldwide Organisation with Several Million (12 July 2021). "Zoom Events From Dublin - JULY 2021 | News". Legion of Mary. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Senatus of Uganda home · Senatus of Uganda, Wankulukuku Rd, Kampala, Uganda". Senatus of Uganda home · Senatus of Uganda, Wankulukuku Rd, Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  4. ↑ Conciliun Legionis Mariae (2014). The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary. De Montfort House, Morning Star Avenue, Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, Ireland: Conciliun Legionis Mariae. pp. 168–169.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ↑ "Legion of Mary - Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam". archdioceseofvisakhapatnam.org. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  6. ↑ "EDEL QUINN By FRANK DUFF". www.ecatholic2000.com. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Mould, Daphne Pochin (1959). "EDEL QUINN". Life of the Spirit (1946-1964). 13 (156): 556–561. ISSN 0269-3593. JSTOR 43705406.
  8. ↑ "The Edel Quinn Page". www.arlingtonregia.com. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Leon-Joseph, Suenens (1956). Edel Quinn. Belgium: Publishers Printing Co. pp. 91–109.
  10. ↑ "Feast of Our Lady of Mercy". CatholicSaints.Info. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "About Senatus of Uganda". Senatus of Uganda. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  12. ↑ Tinkatumire, Leo (2011). Theological and Ecological Foundations for Youth Ministry in Relation to the Archdiocese of Mbarara, Uganda - East Africa (PhD dissertation). Duquesne University.
  13. ↑ Concilium Legionis Mariae (2014). The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary. De Montfort House, Morning Star Avenue, Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, Ireland: Legion of Mary. pp. 209–212.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  14. ↑ Lubwama, Siraje. "Fr Agostoni's wish was to be buried in Uganda". The Observer - Uganda. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  15. ↑ "Bishop Joseph Mukwaya [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  16. ↑ "Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  17. ↑ "St. Mbaaga's Major Seminary". Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Est, Jesus Caritas. "AFRICA : UGANDA : RIP MSGR. CAESAR MUTYABA AGE 90". Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  19. ↑ lyatuu, Justus. "After 30 years, Father Larry leaves Makerere". The Observer - Uganda. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  20. ↑ says, Mary Juliet (18 May 2021). "Announcement of the death of our Spiritual Director, Rev. Fr. Expedito Walakira". Senatus of Uganda. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  21. ↑ "The head of Legion of Mary in Uganda succumbs to Cancer. – Radio Sapientia". www.radiosapientia.com. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  22. ↑ "Rev. Fr. Expedito Walakira afudde". New Vision. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  23. ↑ "Announcement of the appointment of the Spiritual Director – Senatus of Uganda | Legion of Mary". 29 November 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  24. ↑ "Appointment of the Assistant Spiritual Director – Senatus of Uganda | Legion of Mary". 18 November 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  25. ↑ Legionis Mariae, Concilium (2014). The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary. De Montfort House, Morning Star Avenue, Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, Ireland: Concilium Legionis Mariae. pp. 84–90.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  26. ↑ "Home". Senatus of Uganda. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
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