Katigondo National Major Seminary

The seminary is located in Villa Maria, a suburb of the municipality of Kalungu in Kalungu District in the Greater Masaka sub-region in the southwest of the Buganda Region in Uganda. This is approximately {{convert|16|km|0}} northwest of the central business district of Masaka City.{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Masaka+central+police+station,+Central+Police+Station,+Bukoba+Rd,+Masaka/Katigondo+National+Major+Seminary,+QPFP%2B68V,+Villa+Maria/@-0.2801137,31.6961307,12.5z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x19d78f9a021f08b1:0xefb13148cc12ba43!2m2!1d31.7360498!2d-0.3434827!1m5!1m1!1s0x19d7f3714d173c69:0x7cf2612001320d03!2m2!1d31.7358059!2d-0.2268982?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxOC4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDUzSAFQAw%3D%3D |title=Road Distance Between Masaka Police Barracks, Masaka City And Katigondo National Major Seminary, Villa Maria, Kalungu District |access-date=22 March 2025}}

Katigondo Seminary was opened at the present location in 1911. In 1913, it graduated two Ugandan priests; Father Basil Lumu and Father Victor Mukasa Womeraka, the first sub-Saharan Africans to be ordained Catholic priests in the modern era. Over the first 100 years of existence, the seminary has trained 4,000 to 5,000 seminarians. Of these 1,900 were ordained priests. Of these, 29 were appointed bishops and at least three were created cardinals.{{cite web| date=20 April 2012 | url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/life/katigondo-national-seminary-at-101-years-1514624 |title=Katigondo National Seminary At 101 Years |work=Daily Monitor |author=Daily Monitor |access-date=22 March 2025 |location=Kampala, Uganda}}{{cite web| work=New Vision |date=10 January 2013 |author=Juliet Lukwago |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1312479/katigondo-seminary-sh3bn-centenary-event |title=Katigondo Seminary In Need of Sh3 Billion For Centenary Event |access-date=22 March 2025 |location=Kampala, Uganda}}

The seminary is primarily a philosophical school, which instructs seminarians in philosophy before sending them to Ggaba National Major Seminary, in Ggaba, Kampala, where they study Theology and then are ordained priests. In addition to religious courses, the seminary in accredited by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education to provide non-religious courses, including the BSc in Business Accounting and Financial Management.{{cite web| url=https://unche.or.ug/institution/st-thomas-aquinas-national-major-seminary-katigondo/ |title=St. Thomas Aquinas National Major Seminary-Katigondo: These programs are on offer at St. Thomas Aquinas National Major Seminary-Katigondo | work=Uganda National Council for Higher Education (UNCHE) |date=4 March 2025 |author=George Ebine |access-date=22 March 2025 |location=Kampala, Uganda}}

• Father David Ssenkaayi (since July 2023)
• Father Herman Kituuma (2011 until 2023)

In July 2023, Pope Francis appointed Father David Ssenkaayi to succeed Father Herman Kituuma, who had served as rector for over 12 years. Father Tamale Mugagga was appointed by the Uganda Episcopal Conference as the vice-rector.{{cite web| url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/st-thomas-aquinas-national-major-seminary-kat-NV_164598 |title=St. Thomas Aquinas National Major Seminary Katigondo Gets New Rector |date=10 July 2023 |work=New Vision |author=New Vision |access-date=22 March 2025 | location=Kampala, Uganda}}

Prominent alumni of Katigondo Major Seminary include the following.

• Bishop Joseph Kiwanuka, the first sub-Saharan African bishop.
• Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa, the first sub-Saharan African cardinal.
• Cardinal Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga, the first Ugandan cardinal
• Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala, the second Ugandan cardinal.
• Bishop John Baptist Kakubi, Bishop Emeritus of Mbarara, Uganda.{{cite web| title=Uganda: UEC Mourns Rt Rev Kakubi, Bishop Emeritus of Mbarara |date=19 February 2016 | url=https://communications.amecea.org/index.php/2016/02/19/uganda-uec-mourns-rt-rev-kakubi-bishop/ |work=Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) |author=Jacinta W. Odongo |access-date=22 March 2025 | location=Nairobi, Kenya}}
• Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, Archbishop of Kampala (Deceased).{{cite web| url=https://klarchdiocese.org.ug/about-us/the-archbishop-of-kampala-archdiocese/ |title=His Grace Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga | work=Archdiocese of Kampala |date=2020 |access-date=22 March 2025 |location=Kampala, Uganda}}
• Bishop Lawrence Mukasa, Bishop of Kasana-Luweero.{{cite web|work=Uganda Catholics Online |url=https://ugandancatholicsonline.com/who-is-msgr-lawrence-mukasa-newly-appointed-bishop-of-kasana-luweero-diocese |title=Who is Msgr Lawrence Mukasa Newly appointed Bishop of Kasana-Luweero Diocese | date=29 April 2023 |author=Uganda Catholics Online |

access-date=23 March 2025 |location=Kampala, Uganda}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://uecon.org/index.php/institutions Education Institutions of The Uganda Episcopal Conference]

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Category:Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka

Category:Seminaries and theological colleges in Uganda

Category:Educational institutions established in 1911

Category:Catholic seminaries in Africa

Category:Catholic Church in Uganda

Category:1911 establishments in Uganda