Believers from St Kizito Kyengeza Parish in Mityana District have been urged to grow in faith and emulate their saint who died for his religion.
The call was made by clerics at the parish day celebrations on August 11 where more than 588 children, hailing from 17 Sub-Parishes received their first holy communion.
The celebrations kicked off with mass led by Rev Fr Francis Xavier Senyonjo from St Maria Assumpta Kyankwanzi Parish who preached against jealousy among believers citing it as the number one enemy to economic and spiritual development, rallying church goers to refrain from such activities.
The prayers were graced by church, political and local leaders of different dignitaries, with Ms Judith Nabakooba, lands minister, as the guest of honour.
Fr John Baptist Katende, the parish priest, updated the congregation on the ongoing church construction and mobilised support towards it completion.
He said the old church was very small and could not accommodate all the people, calling on the followers to do God’s work and He will in turn refill their pockets.
“The most pressing need now is buying 100,000 half bricks which will cost us Shs10 million as well as making the floor with terrazzo at Shs30 million,” he said, adding that even the veranda and plastering the walls are also burdening them.
Fr Katende reported to the minister about the land disputes on different church land stressing that in Kiteete Sub Parish, the church is battling with a family that sold off church land and issues are already in court.
“The original owner of the estate donated land to the church and we were living peacefully on our land until he died and one of the children turned against us,” he explained, asking for minister’s intervention.
He added that other family members are behind the church in this case and they are willing to provide evidence in its favour.
In a government move to support households to grow their incomes, Mityana residents have greatly benefited from socio-economic development programs like Emyooga and Parish Development Model (PDM).
However, leaders say they have registered a few inconsistences in these programs including soliciting money from potential beneficiaries before receiving it.
“They are asked between Shs200,000 and Shs300,000 to get PDM money and yet at the end, they have to repay the government loan,” Malangala Sub County chairperson Atanansio Busuulwa told Hon Minister.
He said some leaders are collecting money from women who show interest in taking up GROW funds, a financial support program for women already business.
In her response, minister Nabakooba sounded a warning to whoever is caught taking money from people, emphasing that “no single coin should be taken from anyone.
She advised leaders in charge of all government programs to exercise transparency in registering the eligible people from those communities.
“No one outside Mityana should be registered for this money. Let them get it from their respective current residence,” she said, calling on the faithful to always support church activities and grow in faith.
