By Jacinta W. Odongo, Media Officer, Uganda Episcopal Conference
Next week, Uganda will be hosting a high profile Church event, the 18th Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
These will be held in Kampala from July 20-29, 2019, with over 400 delegates from Africa, Madagascar, Europe, America, Asia and beyond expected to attend the nine-day event.
In an announcement issued to the media on July 12 by the head of SECAM Publicity and Communications Planning Committee, Fr. Philip Odii, the general public is invited to attend both the opening and closing Eucharistic celebrations.
“The general public is invited for the opening Mass on Sunday 21st July 2019 at Lubaga Cathedral in Kampala starting at 9.00 a.m., and for the closing Mass on Sunday 28th July 2019 at Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine, Namugongo starting at 10.00 a.m.,” the announcement reads.
Fr. Odii, however, noted that the SECAM Plenary Assembly will not be open to the general public from July 22-27 during which the Plenary delegates will be at Munyonyo Speke Resort and Conference Centre.
Meanwhile members of the SECAM Standing Committee and Core staff have already arrived in the country while the delegates are expected to report on July 20 and depart on July 29. Some of the delegates include cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, Religious men and women, representatives of various Church partners and selected institutions.
The nine-day celebrations will be under the theme “Church, Family of God in Africa, Celebrate your Jubilee! Proclaim, Meet and Welcome Christ your Saviour.” The main objective of the jubilee is to thank God for the gift of Baptism and of the Church in Africa and to ponder on the progress made so far with the aim of deepening the faith.
SECAM is a fruit of the efforts of African Bishops who during the second Vatican Council (1962-1965) resolved to establish a continental structure to unite the Church in Africa and promote collaboration in pastoral ministry. The Association was officially launched on July 29, 1969 at Lubaga Cathedral during the first plenary of the African bishops, and was officially closed by Pope Saint Paul VI on July 31, 1969 during his visit to Uganda.
During the celebrations, two Ugandan Bishops will stand out as the surviving Fathers of SECAM. These are Archbishop Emeritus James Odongo of Tororo and Bishop Emeritus Albert Edward Baharagate of the Diocese of Hoima. The latter was consecrated bishop along with 11 others by Pope Paul VI during his Apostolic visit to Uganda and Africa on August 1, 1969.
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda is expected to grace the Opening Ceremony on July 21, at Munyonyo Speke Resort Hotel at 3.00 pm, as well as the Closing Ceremony on July 28 at Namugongo Catholic Shrine.
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