Located far from the hustle and bustle of Kampala, St Mbaaga Major Seminary in Ggaba was last week filled with the sound of celebration.
Some 34 seminarians and priests received diplomas and degrees in various disciplines from an institution that was also celebrating 40 years of existence that day.
Ceremonies started with mass, concelebrated by Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga and Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa of Masaka. Addressing the graduands during the mass, Archbishop Lwanga challenged them to use the knowledge they have acquired as a tool to confront today’s challenges and lead them to Jesus Christ.
The seminary rector, Fr Joseph Sserunjogi, commended the graduands’ parents for the work and urged them to send more into religious training.
After the Mass, Fr Dr Ambrose Bwangatto, who is dean of studies, explained that seven of the 30 who attended, received diplomas with distinction in Philosophy, and the best student in this area is Alex Ssuuna of Masaka diocese. A further 16 scored diplomas with distinction in theology and the best student was Francis Musoke of Lugazi diocese.
He added that 12 had obtained Urbaniana University degrees in Philosophy and Theology, magna cum laude (first class) with the best candidate being Sr Eva Nanteza, who scored 95.41 per cent in the academic year 2012/2013. Nanteza was only tested at St Mbaaga, but had been a student elsewhere.
In the following year, two obtained Urbaniana University degrees in Philosophy and Theology summa cum laude (with the highest praise) and the best student is Timothy Lukananso of Kampala Archdiocese with score of 97.66 per cent.
St Mbaaga was started by the archbishop of Kampala at the time, Emmanuel Cardinal Nsubuga, in 1976. Located not too far from the already-established Ggaba National Major Seminary, the new institution started with 13 students and now has grown to 212 students. According to Fr Bwangatto, St Mbaaga’s library now has 14,000 books including numerous journals.
Fr Bwangatto said they were carrying out their role with commitment.
“St Mbaaga has maintained the [founder’s] original idea, that we should train pastors and I think if the late Cardinal [Nsubuga] were to appear now, he would be greatly surprised due to the growing numbers,” he said.
St Mbaaga is affiliated to Rome’s Urbaniana University also known as the Pontifical Urban University.
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