Hoima Catholic Diocese to host National Youth Conference celebrations

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hoima Catholic Diocese is hunting for 812 million Shillings to facilitate and host the National Catholic Youth Conference celebrations.

Hoima Catholic Diocese which falls under Mbarara Ecclesiastical Province will host this year’s National catholic youth Conference celebrations from December 10th to December 15th 2024 at our Lady of Lourdes Bujumbura Cathedral in Hoima City.

The National Youth Conference is an annual event led by the Uganda Episcopal Conference an umbrella which unites all the catholic bishops of Uganda. The event gathers all the young people from across the country in a single place to share ideas, experiences, opportunities, challenges and inspirations.

The annual event is always rotational in the four different ecclesiastical provinces under the catholic church.

Monsignor Robert Mugisa, the Vicar General Hoima Catholic Diocese explains that the money is needed to facilitate the various activities including feeding, accommodating the youth that will converge in the diocese and also cater for other expenses that will be incurred during the celebrations.

He says the money will be realized through fundraising drives, donations from other dioceses, contributions from the government and contributions from other parishes from within the Hoima catholic diocese among others. He says so far, the diocese has realized 120 million shillings.

Mugisa says the purpose of the youth conference is to bring the young people to Christ and also avail the youth with a holistic package based on gospel values and the spirit of patriotism elaborating that, the conference helps the church to revitalize the youth apostolate through the different messages and activities which tackle the different aspects of life.

He says the conference is to attract more than 10,000 youth from both within Uganda and abroad.

Joyce Zako, the National Youth Coordinator Uganda Episcopal Conference says, the conference is very crucial since it is always a life-changing moment for many youth across the country and it makes them live a life of moral uprightness by serving as positive role models for others in their communities.

Father Walter Wokorach from Nebbi Catholic Diocese explains that the conference provides appropriate career guidance to the youth some of whom are students, ensuring they make informed choices regarding their courses of study to avoid misplaced decisions.

He says the Nebbi Diocese which falls under Gulu Ecclesiastical province has organized hundreds of youth to attend the conference.

Father Paul Mugabyomu from Fort Portal Diocese noted that they have prepared between 300 to 400 youth from the diocese to attend the conference.

Father Januario Nomugisha, the Director of Youth and Children at Kabale Diocese says, they are using all the available avenues in the diocese to mobilise the youth to attend the conference noting that between 200 to 300 youth from across the Kabale diocese have been mobilized and prepared for the conference.

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