Christians have been urged to embrace humility, service and steadfast faith as they enter Holy Week in preparation for the Easter season. The call was made by Rt. Rev. Callist Rubaramira, the Bishop of Kabale Diocese on Sunday, while addressing believers gathered for the celebration of the Sunday of Lord’s Passion also known as Palm Sunday at Our Lady of Good Shepherd Rushoroza Cathedral.
Bishop Rubaramira reminded the faithful who were gathered at Rushoroza cathedral and live on the air waves of Radio Maria Uganda Kabale that Palm Sunday is a time when Christians should welcome Jesus to reign in their lives as a humble King, and emulate Christ’s servant leadership in their daily living.
As we prepare to welcome Jesus as a humble King, He challenges us to live like Him as servant-hearted leaders,” he said. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey symbolized a kingdom founded on peace, humility and service rather than power and domination. So Let Jesus challenge us all to cultivate the virtue of humility – Bishop Callist Rubaramira.
The Bishop further reminded believers that Palm Sunday connects Christians to the suffering of Christ on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday, calling on them to remain hopeful despite the hardships they may face.
Shortly before the commencement of Mass, Bishop Callist Rubaramira re-opened Rushoroza Cathedral which had spent two months under and rehabilitation and refurbishment. The cathedral floor was given a facelift with terrazzo and sanctuary covered with first class red carpet imported from Germany. He thanked Eng. Didas Ndamira of Vidas Engineering Company and his team for working tirelessly and doing a commendable job of refurbishing the Cathedral. He (Bishop Callist) also delivered greetings from Pope Leo XIV whom he met while on the Ad Limina visit by the Catholic Bishops of Uganda in Rome from March 15-21, 2026.
While preaching during Mass, Fr. Placid Mugumya, the Bishop’s Secretary for Kabale Diocese, urged the Christians to emulate Christ’s humility and love which he showed by offering himself as sacrifice on the cross. He called on them to live a life rooted in love, selflessness, and generosity while expressing their faith in acts of almsgiving and charity.
Palm Sunday, an important day in the Christian life, celebrates the day of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, marking the beginning of his journey toward suffering, death and eventual resurrection for the salvation of mankind. Sunday of the Lord’s Passion or Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. On Holy Tuesday, Kabale Diocese will celebrate Chrism Mass (Mass for blessing and consecrating Holy Oils) but also commemorate the Institution of the Sacrament of Hoy Orders. On Holy Thursday, the Church celebrates the day when Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist and ministry of service. On Good Friday, the church commemorates the suffering and death of Jesus and his resurrection on Easter.
He urged the faithful to remain committed to their spiritual journey, resilient in the face of life’s challenges, entrusting their lives to God through prayer, patience, and unwavering faith, holding on as true witnesses of Christ who focus on the hope and promise of the resurrection as they continue their journey of faith.
The suffering of Jesus reminds us that we are weak and depend on God, for without God, we can do nothing as we read in John 15:4” – Fr. Placid Mugumya.
After the homily, Bishop Callist Rubaramira commissioned 207 catechists and Religious Sisters from all parishes across Kabale Diocese as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, whose main duty is to assist in distribution of Holy Communion where there are big numbers of communicants. They are also charged with taking viaticum (Most blessed Eucharist) to the sick. While commissioning them, Bishop Callist reminded them of the reverence thy must render to the Most Holy Eucharist and how they should be examples to others in moral conduct.
Mr. Remigio Byamukama, Chairman of Rushoroza Parish Council and Kabale Diocesan Education Secretary thanked the Bishop for reopening the Cathedral and welcomed him from the Ad Limina visit which he had undertaken to Rome for a full week. He also thanked him for granting them permission to use Rushoroza Pastoral Centre as church for two months when the Cathedral was under refurbishment.
He also thanked Fr. Austen Christmas (Parish Priest) and his assistants for the hard work being done in the Parish and all the developments undertaken in fields of education, health, obutaagi. He also thanked the parishioners for the cooperation and mobilizing funds to refurbish the Cathedral and thanked Vidas Engineering Company for the good work done on the cathedral refurbishment. He announced that after the refurbishing of the cathedral, the next project would be fundraising for new seats (pews) for the Cathedral.
While officially handing over the completed work of refurbished Cathedral, Engineer Didas Ndamira, the proprietor of Vidas Engineering Company thanked the Cathedral administration for entrusting him with the work of refurbishing the Cathedral floor with terrazzo and covering the sanctuary with red carpet.
Eng. Ndamira announced to the Christians that cost of refurbishing works was 210 million shillings. He noted that now that the floor and sanctuary were worked on, the next project to embark on would be purchasing new seats (pews) for the Cathedral. He launched the drive with 5 mahogany seats, each costing 1.6 million shillings, and that hew wife (Hon. Catherine Ndamira, Woman MP Kabale District) would also contribute 5 seats.
In his remarks, Fr. Austen Christmas, the Parish Priest Rushoroza Cathedral Parish and Director of Liturgy and Catechesis Commission for Kabale Diocese, congratulated the Catechists who had been commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and urged them to uphold the standards and expectations of the Catholic Church from them. He thanked the Bishop who commissioned them for the good of the church, and for reopening the cathedral for the Parishioners of Rushoroza parish and faithful of Kabale Diocese to use especially during the Holy week and Easter celebrations.