Hundreds of Christians throng Naguru to celebrate St Jude, Simon's Day
The day also brings together devotees and other Christians for prayer and spiritual renewal on the feast day celebration in honour of St Jude Thaddeus, widely venerated in the Catholic Church as the patron saint of difficult and desperate cases.
The Bishop of Lira Diocese, Sanctus Lino Wanok, preaches during a celebration on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. (Photo by Juliet Anna Lukwago)
____________________ The Bishop of Lira Diocese, Sanctus Lino Wanok, receives offertory from Our Lady and St. Jude Thaddeus Shrine, Naggulu, Head of Laity Hon. Margaret Nantongo Zziwa and her deputy during the celebration on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. (Photo by Juliet Anna Lukwago).
Hundreds of Christians braved the mid-morning heat to celebrate Saints; Jude Thaddeus and Simon's Day, which was held by the Catholic Church at Naguru Catholic Parish in Kampala on October 28.
Saint Jude's (Feast of Saint Jude Thaddeus) and Saint Simon's Day is celebrated annually on October 28 by the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.
Our Lady and St. Jude Thaddeus Shrine Naguru is the National Shrine and headquarters of the devotion of St. Jude Thaddeus in Uganda.
The day, held under the theme; “consecrate us in truth” (John 17:17), began with a mass procession by the vibrant congregants before a holy mass was celebrated in Naguru.
The mass was led by the Lira Diocese Bishop, Sanctus Lino Wanok, who was assisted by the Naguru Parish Priest, Fr Joseph Mary Bbuye, and his assistants. Other clerics present included the former Vicar of Kampala Archdiocese, Msgr Charles Kasibante, and the Ntinda Parish priest, Fr Edward Muwanga.
The Bishop of Lira Diocese, Sanctus Lino Wanok, receives offertory from Hon. Margaret Nantongo Zziwa, Head of Laity at Our Lady and St. Jude Thaddeus Shrine, Naggulu, and her deputy during a celebration on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. (Photo by Juliet Anna Lukwago).
The day also coincided with the celebrations to mark 40 years of priesthood by the Naguru Parish Priest (Fr Bbuye). Bishop Wanok was Fr Bbuye's classmate.
The day also brings together devotees and other Christians for prayer and spiritual renewal on the feast day celebration in honour of St Jude Thaddeus, widely venerated in the Catholic Church as the patron saint of difficult and desperate cases.
While preaching, Bishop Wanok asked the congregation to "always pray for the priests and other vocations, because they need your prayers."
He also urged congregants to have a relationship with Christ through prayers
He said that Jude Thaddeus and Simon were not known before, but were chosen and they are now great saints.
The prelate called upon people not to be worried because they are not known by people, saying God knows them by name. “Don’t be afraid that you are not known, God knows you by name.”
The Bishop explained; “St. Jude Thaddeus is the patron of hopeless cases, and many devotees of St. Jude are deeply convinced whenever they pray through his intercession that he prevails over any situation.”
Fr Bbuye said Naguru is one of the few parishes that have patronage of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Blessed Virgin Mary) and St. Jude Thaddeus. It was founded on June 14, 1954, by Rev.Fr. Henry Steegmans, a Mill Hill Father, after he had been assigned this responsibility by Bishop Vincent Billington.
The Parish occupies 10.01 acres of land, on which the National Shrine, Parish Hall, St. Jude Primary School, Priests' House Nursery School and Parish Gardens are sitting.
Naguru Parish comprises eight Basic Small Christian Communities namely: St. Anthony, St. Charles Lwanga, St. Gonzaga, St. Balikuddembe, St. Kizito, St. Paul, St. Jude Nakawa Market and St. Ponsiano.
It is one of the 74 Parishes that form Kampala catholic Archdiocese