Ggaba National Major Seminary

{{Short description|Ugandan Catholic institution}}

{{Distinguish|Saint Mbaaga's Major Seminary Ggaba}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox university

|name = Saint Mary's National Major Seminary Ggaba

|image_name =

|image_size =

| motto =

| motto_lang =

| mottoeng =

| type = Private, Seminary

| established = {{Start year and age|1970}}

| closed =

| founder = Cardinal Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga

| parent =

| accreditation = Uganda Episcopal Conference
Uganda National Council for Higher Education

| affiliation = Catholic Church in Uganda

| religious_affiliation = Catholic

| academic_affiliation = Makerere University
Pontifical Urban University

| rector = Father Lazarus Luyinda (2022){{cite web| work=New Vision |date=8 June 2022 |

url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/ggaba-national-major-seminary-proclaims-golde-NV_135665 | title=Ggaba National Major Seminary Proclaims Golden Jubilee |author=New Vision |access-date=27 March 2025 |

location=Kampala, Ugand}}

|former_name =

|city = Ggaba, Makindye Division, Kampala

|country = Uganda

|pushpin_map = Uganda

|coor = {{Coord|00|15|43|N|32|37|45|E|type:edu|display=inline,title}}

|students =

|website = {{URL|https://library.gns.ac.ug/}}

}}

Ggaba National Major Seminary, (also Saint Mary's National Major Seminary Ggaba) is a National Seminary of the Catholic Church in Uganda. The institution is a training facility and House of Formation under the auspices of the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC). The institution is also accredited by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education to teach some non-religious academic courses. The seminary is affiliated with both the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, Italy and with Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

Location

The seminary is located in Ggaba, in Makindye Division, in the south of the city of Kampala. This is approximately {{convert|10|km|0}} southeast of the central business district of Kampala.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Central+Bank+of+Uganda,+37%2F45,+Plot+17%2F19+Kampala+Road,+Kampala/St.+Mary%E2%80%99s+National+Major+Seminary+Ggaba,+KAMPALA,+Uganda+Ggaba+Road,+Kampala/@0.279684,32.5832826,24385m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x177dbc80f7f01c39:0x6b9adae1ecae2406!2m2!1d32.5803791!2d0.3137527!1m5!1m1!1s0x177dbe0842991623:0xa9793a03bc4559d4!2m2!1d32.6290945!2d0.2619104?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMyNC4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDUzSAFQAw%3D%3D |title=Road Distance Between Bank of Uganda, Central Kampala City And St. Mary's National Major Seminary, Ggaba, Kampala |access-date=27 March 2025}}

History

St. Mary's National Major Seminary was opened at the present location at Ggaba in 1970. In 1970, all four classes of Katingondo's theology students were transferred St. Mary's National Seminary. Since then, "more than 2,754 seminarians have been enrolled, of whom more than 1,990 have been ordained priests and more than 19 of them have been raised to bishops and archbishops".{{cite web| date=13 November 2022 |access-date=27 March 2025 |url=https://www.independent.co.ug/ggaba-national-seminary-icon-of-catholic-unity-in-uganda/ |title=Ggaba National Seminary; Icon of Catholic Unity In Uganda |work=The Independent (Uganda) |author=Uganda Radio Network| location=Kampala, Uganda}}

Academics

The seminary is primarily a school of theology, which instructs seminarians in Theology before they are ordained priests. The seminary awards the Diploma in Theology on its own letterhead. It also awards a Bachelor of Theology degree in corroboration with the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. It also awards a Master's degree in Theology and Religious Studies in conjunction with Makerere University.

Overview

As of March 2025, this seminary is one of four national major Catholic seminaries in Uganda.

Rectors

As of November 2022, the Rector of the seminary was the Reverend Father Lazarus Luyinda.

References

{{Reflist}}