On this profoundly meaningful occasion of Divine Mercy Sunday, the Holy Cross Lake View family — students, staff, clergy, and administration — came together in heartfelt unity to celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass, lifting their voices and hearts to God in deep gratitude for the remarkable academic performance of both the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) candidates of the year 2025. The gathering was not merely a ceremonial event; it was a powerful communal expression of faith, gratitude, and the enduring values that define the Holy Cross educational tradition.
A Celebration Rooted in Faith and Gratitude
The choice of Divine Mercy Sunday as the occasion for this Thanksgiving Mass was deeply symbolic. It is a day when the Church universal commemorates the boundless mercy of God — a fitting backdrop for a school community that attributes its achievements not solely to human effort, but above all to the grace and providence of the Almighty. As the Holy Cross Lake View family gathered within the sacred space of worship, there was a palpable sense of joy, reverence, and collective thanksgiving for the fruits of hard work blessed by God.
The celebration brought together members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the school’s dedicated teaching and non-teaching staff, students from all classes, and most especially the UCE and UACE classes of 2025 — the guests of honour whose combined performance inspired this joyful occasion. It was a moment that beautifully wove together the spiritual and academic dimensions of the school’s mission, affirming that excellence in education, when grounded in faith and moral values, bears lasting fruit at every level of learning.
Message from the Provincial Superior and the Board of Directors
The celebration was graced by the presence of the Reverend Father Peter Caxton Mayanja, C.S.C., Provincial Superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross — East Africa Province, who also serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Holy Cross Lake View Secondary School. His presence and words lent the occasion both spiritual authority and institutional significance.
In his address to the congregation, Fr. Mayanja delivered a message that was at once inspiring and deeply grounding. He reminded the assembled community — students, staff, and administration alike — that every achievement, however great, is ultimately a blessing from God. Academic excellence, he emphasised, is not merely the product of individual effort or institutional strategy; it is a grace to be received with humility and returned to God through lives of integrity and service.
Fr. Mayanja also took the opportunity to commend both the administration and the teaching staff for their unwavering commitment to upholding the values that make Holy Cross Lake View a distinguished institution. He acknowledged the staff’s tireless dedication to nurturing not only the intellectual capacities of learners but also their moral and spiritual formation — a task that goes well beyond the confines of the classroom.
To the students — particularly the UCE and UACE classes of 2025 — Fr. Mayanja extended words of heartfelt appreciation for their hard work, their resilience, and their commitment to their studies and to the guidance of their teachers. Whether concluding their Ordinary Level journey or completing their Advanced Level studies, both cohorts were celebrated equally as embodiments of the Holy Cross spirit of perseverance and dedication. He encouraged them as they prepare to transition to the next level of their academic and professional journeys, urging them to carry with them the same values of faith, discipline, integrity, and hard work that have defined their time at Holy Cross Lake View. His blessing over both graduating classes was a moment of profound spiritual significance, sending them forth with confidence and hope.
Liturgy Animated by the Staff Choir and School Chaplain
The spiritual heart of the celebration — the Thanksgiving Mass itself — was animated with great vibrancy and devotion by the staff choir, whose musical ministry brought life, beauty, and prayerful depth to the sacred liturgy. The choir, working in close coordination with the school chaplain, Reverend Father Douglas Alinaitwe, C.S.C., ensured that the celebration of the Eucharist was not only theologically rich but also musically uplifting.
Fr. Alinaitwe, who serves as the spiritual guide and pastoral anchor of the Holy Cross Lake View community, played a central role in shaping the liturgical atmosphere of the occasion. His ministry as chaplain reflects the school’s deep commitment to the integral formation of students — ensuring that academic pursuit is always accompanied by spiritual growth, moral reflection, and a living relationship with God.
Head Teacher Welcomes the Classes of 2025
Reverend Father Prosper Atukwatse, C.S.C., the head teacher of Holy Cross Lake View Secondary School, delivered a warm and encouraging address to both the UCE and UACE classes of 2025, formally welcoming them back to the school they have called home throughout their studies. His words were both celebratory and instructive, acknowledging these two cohorts collectively as a model of what the Holy Cross educational ideal looks like in practice.
Fr. Atukwatse was particularly emphatic in his recognition of the exemplary discipline demonstrated across both classes, which he identified as a key and indispensable factor in their academic success. He noted that discipline — the ability to remain focused, obedient to guidance, and committed to one’s goals even in the face of challenges — is not a secondary virtue but a foundational one that determines the trajectory of a student’s life and career. The classes of 2025, he affirmed, demonstrated this virtue with distinction, and their results stand as a testament to what focused, values-driven students can achieve.
Turning to the remaining students in attendance, Fr. Atukwatse extended a clear and direct challenge: to emulate the example set by their outgoing colleagues from both the Ordinary and Advanced levels. He encouraged them to remain focused on their academic responsibilities, to embrace the school’s values wholeheartedly, and to cultivate the kind of disciplined dedication that transforms good students into great ones. His message was one of continuity — the tradition of excellence at Holy Cross Lake View is not accidental, and it must be consciously carried forward by each successive generation of learners.
A Joyful Conclusion: Awards and Fellowship
The celebration reached its joyful crescendo as the day drew to a close with a special awards ceremony, where deserving students from both the UCE and UACE cohorts were recognised for their outstanding contributions and achievements. The moment was filled with pride, applause, and the genuine happiness that comes from seeing hard work honoured and celebrated within a community of shared values.
The awards ceremony was more than a formality — it was a powerful affirmation that Holy Cross Lake View recognises and rewards excellence at every level, and that every student who commits to the school’s mission can aspire to be celebrated in this way. It was a fitting and joyful conclusion to a day that had been, from beginning to end, a celebration of God’s goodness and the fruitfulness of the Holy Cross educational mission.
The Holy Cross Spirit: Faith, Excellence, and Community
The Thanksgiving Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday stands as a powerful testimony to the distinctive spirit that animates Holy Cross Lake View Secondary School. It is a spirit that refuses to separate academic excellence from spiritual depth, or individual achievement from communal responsibility. It is a spirit rooted in the charism of the Congregation of Holy Cross — a charism that calls its members and those they serve to educate hearts and minds in the fullest sense of the phrase.
As the UCE and UACE classes of 2025 step forward into the next chapters of their lives — whether into Senior Five, university, or the world of professional and vocational endeavour — they carry with them not only the credentials of their academic achievement but the formation of character, faith, and values that Holy Cross Lake View has sought to instil in them. For this, the entire school community gives thanks — to God, to the dedicated staff and clergy who make this mission possible, and to the students themselves who have proven, once again, that the Holy Cross way bears abundant fruit.
May God continue to bless the Holy Cross Lake View family in all its endeavours, and may the classes of 2025 go forth to make a lasting and positive impact in their communities, their nation, and the world.
