St. Robert Parishioners Help Rebuild St. Jude School in Uganda
Latest Update Construction of the walls has been completed up to the roof line. Next phase: the roof!
Background St. Robert parishioners are helping to rebuild St. Jude Primary school in a village southwest of Kampala, Uganda. (Click on the picture on the right for a youtube video!) Priest-in-residence at St. Robert, Fr. Augustine Kaleemera, attended St. Jude as a child, and now he is helping to rebuild it. When completed, St. Jude will include seven classrooms (three of which will be separated by collapsable doors and will double as the village's church), two offices, and a faculty room. Classes are currently being held in the old school building and under a mango tree.
Parent, student, and community involvement in the building of the school is great. Some students have raised livestock to help pay for school expenses, and some parents have made and donated bricks and crushed stone for the mortar used in the construction of the school. St. Jude in the village of Baakijulula, a sub-parish of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Parish in neighboring Buyege. The parish is comprised of 40,000 Catholics. Four other schools and a convent of religious sisters are located in Buyege, and the needs there are tremendously great. Click here to view the wish list of items for St. Jude School and Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. To make a donation toward St. Jude School, please send a check payable to St. Robert Parish and indicating St. Jude School in the memo line St. Robert Parish Attn: St. Jude School 4019 N. Farwell Av. Shorewood, WI 53211
While in Uganda, the six St. Robert pilgrims also visitied Mutesa I Royal University in Masaka for which Fr. John Mary Ssozi (a second priest in residence at St. Robert) has collected textbooks. The textbooks will be used not only by students at the university but by surrounding residents as well.
The pilgrimage to Uganda also included visits to the Shrine of the Ugandan Martyrs, hospitals, seminaries, and historically important sites such as the tomb of the kings and Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda is a country rich in natural beauty and welcoming, friendly people. Read more in Claire's Pilgrimage Journal.
Fund for Needy Students in Uganda The Ugandan Mission and Scholarship Fund was established by Fr. Augustine Kalemeera and Fr. John Mary Ssozi for the purpose of providing financial aid to Ugandan children, in particular orphans and underprivileged students enrolled in Catholic schools. Tuition for most children is $30.00 per trimester. Often students fall behind in studies because of inability to pay or because they are responsible for taking care of the household or sick family members. Interest accumulated on a principle of $5,000.00 will be sent at the discretion of Fr. Augustine and Fr. John Mary to schools, orphanages, or seminaries to help Ugandan students in need. Donations may be made payable to St. Robert Parish and marked “Ugandan Mission and Scholarship Fund.”
Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services is the US Catholic community's international relief organization. CRS partners with SERRV International to bring fair trade crafts from Uganda to your home. View products here. Find out more about how CRS helps Uganda.
a principle of $5,000.00 will be sent at the