The White Fathers Mission in Uganda

[2] In the search of the source of River Nile in the "Dark continent of Africa", Henry Morton Stanley arrived at Kabaka Muteesa I of Buganda who gave him letter in 1875 inviting the missionaries to come and educate his people.

Mapeera and brother Amansi from continuing to Uganda after he had gotten information about the murder of two Anglican missionaries on the Ukerewe island.

Amansi started their lake journey after buying a boat (canoe) and also hiring five guards and 8 eight Oarsmen.They wanted to go and discuss with Kabaka Muteesa I before the rest of the fathers could join them.

[8][2][13][7] They set off at Kageye on the shores of Lake Victoria and they kept closer to the shoreline so that they could buy food when there was a need for it and also to be able to sleep in their tents at night.

[16] On 17 February 1879, Mapeera and Amansi arrived at Kigungu landing site in Entebbe Municipality where a monument that was constructed by the Missionaries of Africa to honor their memory and works was installed.

[13][6][2][5][15][11][8][10][17][12][16] On 19 February 1979, they wanted to continue up to Mutungo near the palace of Kabaka Muteesa I but their boat was in bad shape and it later wrecked near Kaweta landing site at Bugonga in Entebbe.

Mapeera and Brother Amansi), they erected a tent which served as a catholic church in Uganda at Nabulagala near Kasubi.

Mapeera and Brother Amansi land of about two miles in Nabulagala on which they constructed a catholic church in Kitebe Village in Rubaga Division.

Mapeera and Brother Amansi, the kabaka promised to send canoes to bring the rest of the White Fathers to Buganda.

[10][24] In 1882, the white fathers had managed to free slaves most of which were not Baganda but they later discovered that some of the kids in the orphanage were practicing homosexuality.

Mapeera and Brother Amansi had left the portable altar and books/articles that are used to celebrate a catholic mass in Kageye Village in Tanzania with a group of other missionaries.

Léon Livinhac as the main celebrant at the Mapeera-Nabulagala Catholic Mission Station in Rubaga Division.

[3] Hill Mill Fathers also built Tororo college in Eastern Uganda for the people of Bukedi, Bagisu and Teso.

[3] In 1894, the Victoria Vicariate that consisted of (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Zaire) was split into three by Pope Leo XIII;[28] Due to persecutions between 1882 and 1888, the missionaries held a secret ballot election on whether they should abandon the Buganda mission station or stay, most them of they voted to leave.

[7][10][21] The few baptised Catholics and catechumens met and discussed on how to run the church after the white fathers left Uganda.

Mapeera found that other catholic converts had been baptised including Princess Nalumansi (a daughter of Kabaka Muteesa I) and local village chiefs.

John the Baptist, Mapeera-Nabulagala church with a capacity of 1000 members was constructed in Rubaga Division using the contributions from the White Fathers and Catholics in Uganda and diaspora at the same spot where Mapeera and Amansi built their first mission station.

[18] A petition of opposing a Muslim owned land hosting kaffirs was submitted by the Muslims of Kiswayili zone to Idi Amin when Musa Kaggwa Senyondwa, the son of late Amir Sekikkubo, requested Archbishop to construct a catholic church on the land he inherited from his late father as a way of honouring his father who played a role in the starting up of the Catholic Church in Uganda.

[18] And on 21 February of every year, a catholic mass is celebrated at the home of the late Amir Sekikkubo and also the a Duwa (Muslims prayers) are held on the same day and in that same pulpit.

[18] In 1980, Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga built a mosque to honor Amir Sekikkubo selflessness towards the growth of the Catholic church in Uganda.

[10][26][2][13] A great-great-grandniece of Father Mapeera called Marlene Marie Lee visited Uganda for her first time in 2017 with other fellow parishioners who included Jim and Gina Nailon.

[8] Christians are encourage to donate money towards the development of the Mapeera-Nabunnya pilgrimage centre and also the beautification process of the Mapeera.

[17] A hymn titled "Amansi ne Mapeera" was written, composed and is sung in most Catholic churches in Uganda especially in Buganda.The Hymn is about the history of Mapeera and Amansi and the works they did for the Catholic church of Uganda which included teaching people and also healing the sick in a village called Rubya in Kyaddondo.

[12] Mapeera (Pere Siméon Lourdel Marpel) at the age of 37 died at 1:10 PM of 12 May 1890 at Rubaga due to Hepatitis and he was surrounded by Fr.

[38] But his remains were exhumed and buried at St. John the Baptist Catholic parish, Mapeera, Nabulagala on 6 March 2011.

[10] Amansi arrived in Uganda at the age of 27 and he had not yet made his final vows that would make him a reverend father.

[24] On his way back to Europe, Amansi died after two hours on his arrival at the mission of the Spiritain fathers in Bagamoyo on 18 January 1895 as indicated in the diary of Zanzibar.

[11][2] Mapeera's beatification process was started by Bishop Joseph Mukwaya but when he died, the task was launched in 1987 by Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga.

The gathered and documentary proofs about the Servants of God (Father Mapeera, Brother Amansi and Maama Kevina[3]) were presented and a tribunal to do further investigations, inquiries and research about the life, heroic virtues and miracles was formed and they made an oath.

[11] The appointed tribunal included; The documentation process was completed in Uganda and sent to the Vatican Congregation for causes of Saints for verification and scrutiny.