St. Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga

The towering house of God stands on top of one of the original seven hills that make up the city of Kampala. This twin towered Roman Cathoric cathedral has a memorial to the Uganda Martyrs, with 22 catholic victims enshrined in the stained glass windows. They were among the other Ugandan Christians burnt to death by kabaka Mwanga 11 in 1885 and 1886 for refusing to renounce the white man’s religion.

It was in the 1800s when Christian missionaries first wandered into Central Uganda. Their subsequent influence is clearly seen today in the churches built on top of the most prominent hills of Central Kampala. The Catholics were given Rubaga Hill where the Cathedral imposingly stands. This Romanesque structure with the twin belfry has all the trappings of great houses of worship found in Europe or South America. Once inside, the grandness is intensified by the colorful paintings and mosaics that depict a mixture of both African and European influence united in their faith.

The huge building was restored for the Pope’s visit of Uganda. The church, houses the remains of the first African Catholic Bishop and the first African Archbishop of Kampala Diocese, Joseph Kiwanuka. On Sunday, Luganda masses are at 7:00am and 9:00am while English masses are at 8:00am. The general masses are at 10:00 am and at 5:00pm.