Uganda Pastoral Center & Salvatorian Novitiate
The Salvatorian mission in Fukien, China, had to be closed in 1954 due to the expulsion of missionaries because of the rise of the communist regime in 1949. The Salvatorian missionaries in China were from Germany, England, and the United States. However, the American missionaries wanted to remain missionaries and requested the Generalate to establish a new mission in Africa. The initial proposal to the Generalate was to begin the mission in Uganda, but ultimately, the mission in Tanzania was accepted in 1955. The mission grew, and a new diocese was formed and named Nachingwea. An American Salvatorian, Fr. Arnold Cotey, SDS, was chosen to be its first bishop.
Salvatorians subsequently opened missions in other African countries such as DR Congo (1955), Cameroon (2010), Mozambique (2005), Kenya (2015), and Madagascar (2018). The African Church is very vibrant and promising. The Salvatorian missions in African countries are thriving with new vocations and apostolates. Therefore, Salvatorians felt the need to establish an international novitiate house for Africa to provide quality formation to those wanting to join Salvatorian religious life from African countries.
The search for an ideal location to establish this international novitiate house led us to the Jinja diocese in Uganda. Jinja is conveniently located in the center of DR Congo, Tanzania, and Kenya and has excellent access to most of the countries where Salvatorians are ministering in Africa. Furthermore, Jinja is serenely located on the banks of Lake Victoria, making it an ideal location to establish a novitiate house along with the presence of many other Catholic religious orders in Jinja.
The scope of this newly proposed Salvatorian mission in Uganda is to establish an Africa International novitiate house for the candidates from Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda, and eventually from other African units. Furthermore, it responds to the needs of the local Church to establish a pastoral center, focusing on the formation and accompaniment of priests, religious, catechists, etc., who will minister in the local communities.
