Sometimes, it’s easy to see how the Lord provides in abundance. At St. Augustine Catholic Church in Uganda, part of Holy Cross Parish Bugembe, the abundance of new life the Lord has provided is clearly visible at every Mass. “Every Sunday, children under eight years form half of the congregation during Mass,” Fr. Lule Dennis Kaddu, C.S.C., the Emeritus Pastor of Holy Cross Parish Bugembe, told the Holy Cross Mission Center (HCMC). 

This abundance, however, highlighted the parish community’s need for safe, affordable, and quality education for their children. “In our dialogue with the church leaders, we were able to identify the need of having a nursery school at the church to provide a holistic foundation to the children,” Fr. Lule said. 

Thankfully, the Mission Center was able to provide financial assistance so the parish’s dream of a nursery school could come to fruition. After receiving their formal project proposal, the Mission Center approved over $72,000 in donor funds so the parish could construct a two-story building for the new St. Augustine Nursery School and erect a perimeter wall around it. 

“With the funds received, we have been able to construct a perimeter wall, a nursery school with [flush] toilets, pave the entire compound and have a water reservoir,” Fr. Lule reported to the Mission Center. “The nursery school has two classrooms on the ground floor and an office, while the first floor has two classrooms and an office as well, allowing an additional 80 children and their families to have childcare.” Fr. Lule reported to the Mission Center. (Each classroom can accommodate 40 students.)

Uniquely, the building’s construction included the installation of a ramp, making it accessible for individuals with physical disabilities. “The ramp has made it stand out as an inclusive school in the area,” Fr. Lule said. 

The construction process wasn’t devoid of challenges, and experienced a three-month delay due to the need for clearance. “The main challenge faced in the execution of this project was the threat of the Standard Gauge Railway, a government multi-billion [Ugandan shilling] project,” Fr. Lule shared. “There was a claim that part of the church land was in the reserve for the soon-to-be constructed railway.”

“The government came to do a survey for the standard gauge railway project, and there was a claim that part of the church land was to be affected by the project. So we engaged the government authorities, and they gave us a clearance to continue since we are authentic owners of the land,” Fr. Lule said. “We agreed that in case of any damages or encroachment of the railway project on our property, the government was to compensate the church. This was the major cause of the three-month delay.”

In the end, the project was yet another tangible experience of the Lord’s generosity to the parish. “We are so grateful for the project funds, which enabled us to accomplish more than we anticipated,” Fr. Lule said. “In addition to the perimeter wall and the nursery school, we have been able to pave the entire church and nursery school compound, install two gates, put culverts to create parking space, and have a water reservoir,” he reported.  

All this is a blessing to both the individual families and to the parish community as a whole, as their youngest members are now able to be well-formed in a safe environment. “This nursery school will help in providing affordable and quality education to the children, especially in the surrounding area,” Fr. Lule said. “In addition, it is a big relief to the parents who have always had to have their children cross the highway to access good education, hence being at a high risk of road accidents. This nursery school will be a feeder to the parish primary school as well.” 

“We are so grateful to the Mission Center for funding this project,” Fr. Lule concluded. “It has given more hope to the people of St Augustine Church and the neighborhood. It has become a hallmark for them to reclaim their public reputation.” 

Published by Paula Lent, Digital Media Intern
June 2025