Fr. Damian Grimes to be laid to rest in Uganda

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rev Fr Damian Grimes, the legendary headteacher of Namasagali College, will be laid to rest in Uganda, the country where he devoted 42 years of his service life.

The British Catholic missionary from the Mill Hill order, who passed away on Wednesday, at the age of 93, left a lasting legacy on Uganda’s education system.

It is said that he wished to be buried at Namasagali College, the institution he significantly helped to transform.

The government has approved the arrangements for his burial. This development was confirmed and announced by the First Deputy Prime Minister, Rebecca Kadaga, one of the many students who passed through Father Grimes’ tutelage at the Kamuli-based school.

“Thanks to President Museveni for granting Father Grimes his wish to be laid to rest in Uganda,” Kadaga posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday evening.

Details of his burial plans are still to be finalized. However, Maureen Mwagale, the chairperson of the Namasagali College Alumni currently residing in the United Kingdom, informed our reporter that they are managing the arrangements and will eventually bring “him home.”

“Will let you know (about the program). We have a funeral service here in the UK on the 21st of September. Then we will bring him home,” she wrote in a message to our reporter.

Available information indicates that the missionary’s resting place will be at Namasagali College a former railway port which he elevated from obscurity to national prominence—not only in academics but in co-curricular activities like Sports and creative acts.

The Mill Hill Missionaries, the religious order to which Father Grimes belonged for 70 years, noted in a statement that funeral arrangements would be posted later on their website.

Born on June 11, 1931, in Wakefield, England, Damian Grimes was ordained a priest in 1955. He arrived in Uganda four years later, initially teaching history at Namilyango College. In 1967, he was appointed headmaster at Namasagali College, where he dedicated over three decades to shaping young minds.

Father Grimes was a trailblazer in Ugandan education, known for his contribution to developing what is known as the A’level and introducing computer studies, a rarity in Ugandan secondary schools at the time. His contributions extended beyond education, impacting the entire country in both tangible and intangible ways.

He was also celebrated for nurturing talent in sports like chess and boxing, as well as fostering the creative arts. His holistic approach to education and emphasis on extracurricular activities earned him admiration and respect across the country. And his mark lives in many great people in those fields.

Father Grimes’ contributions did not go unrecognized. In 1991, he was honoured with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his long-term service to education in Africa. In 2022, President Yoweri Museveni awarded him a medal in recognition of his outstanding services to Uganda’s educational system.

Even after retiring and returning to England 24 years ago, Father Grimes remained a beloved figure in Uganda. His passing has been mourned by many who noted that his legacy will continue to inspire generations through the countless lives he touched and the structures he built in Uganda’s educational, sports and creative art landscape.

Tributes have poured in from all corners, including from the Kyabazinga of Busoga, William Gabula Nadiope IV, who described Father Grimes as a “respected educationist, admired teacher, and exceptional human being.”

With his mortal remains repatriated to Uganda, Fr. Grimes will join a distinguished group of missionaries who dedicated their lives to the country.

Even after retiring and returning to their home countries, their remains were brought back to Uganda to be laid to rest in the land they served, either by their wishes or at the request of the Ugandan people. Among these missionaries is Mother Kevin, founder of the Little Sisters of St. Francis, who is celebrated for her charitable work, particularly in caring for the sick and needy.

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