A total of 166 million shillings was collected yesterday, November 2, 2024 in the on going Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAF), a function held at St. Peter’s Gisoro Parish in Mutolere Deanery, Kisoro District. The BAAF drive which started with the Sacrifice of Mass led by Rt. Rev. Callist Rubaramira, Bishop of Kabale Diocese saw sh.155,415,200 collected in cash and sh.11,000,000 in pledges meant to complete a Kabale Diocesan commercial building located in Kabale Town.
While preaching during Mass, Rev. Fr. Augustine Munyandamutsa, Parish Priest of St. Joseph Kinanira Parish said that God has given people all that they need in order to make the world a better place to live in. He reminded the Christians who had gathered that the chief reason was to raise funds to support the Diocese to realize the goal of financial sustainability as was introduced by Bishop Callist Rubaramira through Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAF). He said that in giving God, there should be no folding of arms but generously sharing with others what God has blessed them with, thereby calling on people to generously support BAAF. Every year, funds are raised towards establishment of a particular project in Kabale Diocese and some of the completed projects include St. Ignatius University Kabale (2023), Centenary Bank Rukungiri (2022), Centenary Bank Kabale (2021), Centenary Bank Kisoro (2018) Radio Maria (2017) among others.
Mr. Zacharia Bigirimana,the vice Chairperson of Mutolere deanery Laity Council thanked the congregation for their turn up in big number to welcome the Bishop and for their generosity in supporting BAAF projects. He thanked the Bishop for the program of Basic Small Christian Communities (BSCCs) which has re-awakened the Catholic identity among people, and sensitization of families towards financial sustainability.
Fr. Joseph Sebatwale, Parish Priest of Mutolere Parish and Dean Mutolere Deanery also thanked the parishioners in Mutolere deanery for their generosity in supporting Parish and Diocesan projects. He thanked the Deanery Laity Council which helped in mobilizing Christians and collection of money from parishes. He noted that they had been disrupted by the NRM primary elections and had thought of calling the day, but God helped them to raise what they could. He called on the people to pray for peaceful elections for Woman MP Kisoro district scheduled on November 14, 2024.
Speaking at function as the Guest of Honour, the Assistant Commissioner General of Prisons, Hillary Bisanga thanked God for the opportunity granted to officiate as guest of honor in his home district. He also thanked Bishop Callist Rubaramira for introducing BAAF which has established several projects in the Diocese, to the extent that Kabale Diocese has become a model to other Diocese in terms of financial sustainability. He also thanked him for teaching Believers to participate in Developmental activities such as saving and farming.
Assistant Commissioner Bisanga also expressed gratitude to Bishop Callist for bringing services closer to the Christians by opening up more parishes in Mutolere Deanery creating more Parishes in Mutolere Deanery and this has also increased the number of priests born from Mutolere deanery. This year, three Diocesan priests who were ordained in Kabale Diocese are all from Mutolere deanery. Mutolere deanery currently has 8 parishes namely Mutolere, Kinanira, Sooko, Rubuguri, Gisoro, Gatete, Nyagisozi and Muhanga. He also reminded the Congregation that in 2029, Mutolere Parish will be celebrating 100 years of existence while serving the people of God, and called on people to support the renovation of Mutolere church as the mother parish of all other parishes in Kisoro district. He contributed 37 million shillings towards BAAF Kisoro district.
In his final remarks, Bishop Callist Rubaramira thanked ACP, Hillary Bikanga for accepting to officiate as chief guest and for mobilizing the people of Mutolere Deanery in diaspora to support their Diocese. He also thanked the organizing committee for preparing a successful function. He also expressed gratitude to the Christians for their generous spirit of supporting the Diocese. Bishop Callist emphasized that as the Diocese is progressing in terms of financial sustainability, parishes too should establish projects meant to generate income. He tasked the Parish Priests and Parish Councils in Mutolere Deanery to ensure that Financial Sustainability programs are established on the Parish and family level among the Christians so that people’s household income is boosted.
This year, Kabale Diocese seeks a total of 1.5 billion shillings in order to complete a commercial building in Kabale Town, located on plot 10, along the Kabale-Mbarara Road. This money will be collected in all the six (6) Districts of Kigezi sub region that make up Kabale Diocese and so far Rukiga was covered on October 26 and Kisoro on November 2. The remaining districts will hold their collections as follows: Rukungiri (November 9), Kabale (November 17), Rubanda (November 23), Kanungu (December 1) and the Catholic community in the greater Kampala on December 15. The climax for BAAF this year will be held at Our Lady of Good Shepherd Rushoroza Cathedral Parish grounds on January 11, 2025.