Parishes

Holy Cross Parishes in the Province of East Africa are communities of faith, action, witness, and hope. Wherever we establish a parish, we administer the sacraments, foster youth ministry, care for the spiritual well-being of families, widows, widowers, and the orphaned. We also promote lay apostolic movements, educate both the heart and the mind, advocate for social justice, and care for creation, among other ministries. We believe Christ was anointed to bring good news to the poor, release to prisoners, and sight to the blind. Our efforts, which are an extension of His, reach out to the afflicted with a preferential option for the poor and the oppressed. We come not merely as servants, but as neighbors to those we serve. The first Holy Cross priests were recruited by Blessed Basil Moreau to preach in parishes and assist the diocesan clergy in the French countryside. Later, Fr. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., crossed the Atlantic and settled in Northern Indiana to celebrate Mass and the sacraments for Catholics who rarely saw a priest. In 1958, the Congregation answered the missionary call to East Africa at the invitation of Bishop Jean Ogez, W.F., of Mbarara in western Uganda. On November 4, 1958, four members from the United States arrived to begin this mission. After Bishop McCauley, the founding bishop, established the Diocese of Fort Portal, Holy Cross began its parish ministry in Bukwali (1960), Munteme (1961), Kahunge (1963), Kasese (1966), and Kasanga (1968). As the ministry grew, more parishes were established: St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, Kyarusozi, Uganda (1994) Sombetini, Arusha, Tanzania (2015) Musoma, Tanzania (2017) Mwanza, Tanzania (2017) Konge Lukuli, Kampala, Uganda (2018) Koch Goma – Gulu, Uganda (2023) Timboroa, Eldoret, Kenya (2023)