Uganda: Week of Praise & Worship at Emmaus Centre, Katikamu

The praise and worship team from Mbarara dressed in matching attire every day.

During the week of October 15-21, I was at Emmaus Centre for Catholic Evangelization and Discipleship in Wobulenzi, Katikamu - about 55 km north of Kampala. We have a long-standing friendship, and I've been able to visit there a number of times. During this week I served as priest chaplain for a program focused on praise and worship. The mostly young participants came from dioceses throughout Uganda, and some even from Kenya and South Sudan. The schedule included sessions throughout the day and all-night Eucharistic Adoration every night.

One of the highlights of the week was a jubilant Eucharistic procession, complete with palm branches, banners, drums and traditional attire. It culminated in an extended period of Adoration in the chapel. It was inspiring to see how the participants would sing and praise for hours on end. There was no rush to get out of church! It became an occasion for many moments of personal graces and breakthroughs, especially in the area of forgiveness and reconciliation.

It was a blessing for me to accompany these brothers and sisters, to offer daily Mass for and with them and make available the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They left full of enthusiasm and joy, reminding me of why Pope Benedict XVI has referred to Africa as the "Continent of Hope."