Fr. Ssebitoogo cautioned the celebrant, Sr. Ritah that she is bound to come across many challenges in the discharge of her duties, and to pray hard for herself and the people she is serving to overcome the challenges.
Sr. Ritah Nakungu on Sunday September 14, 2025 marked her first thanksgiving mass following her first profession vows she made on Monday September 8, 2025 under the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy Chemba, in Dodoma Tanzania.
Held at her parents’ home, Godfrey Mutwalogumu and Nakiwala Grace at Nassuuti Cell in Mukono Central Division, Mukono Municipality, the thanksgiving mass was led by Rev. Fr. Paul Ssebitoogo, the Parish Priest of St. Paul Catholic Parish in Mukono town.
Fr. Ssebitoogo cautioned the celebrant, Sr. Ritah that she is bound to come across many challenges in the discharge of her duties, and to pray hard for herself and the people she is serving to overcome the challenges.
In her thanksgiving message, Sr. Ritah thanked the Good Samaritans Sisters in her home neighbouring Ttakajjunge village in Nama sub-county, Mukono district for having stood with her mother during the trying times as she groomed her for service to God.
Giving a background of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy where she spent five years in training, Sr. Ritah said it is based in France with offices in UK, Switzerland and India, with African offices in DR Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Senegal, Zambia and Zanzibar.
She said their main services include humanitarian and missionary work in schools, hospitals and homes for the disadvantaged, with construction of Uganda offices due to begin soon in Lugazi, Buikwe district.
Speaking on behalf of the parents, her uncle, Ssalongo Musoke noted that Sr. Ritah has since childhood been a God-fearing child who started showing passion for her calling as a child. He committed her to God’s protection in Tanzania where she is going to serve.
Her mother, Grace Nakiwala said that as a child, Sr. Ritah was many times bedridden in poor health, including one time when fire badly burnt her, leaving severe injuring on her entire head, adding however that this must have been God’s plans to make her a time-tested servant for her present service.
In his homily, Fr. Ssebitoogo has implored believers to boldly and fearlessly carry the numerous crosses they encounter in life, with assurances that this is the way they will access whatever God has prepared for them in life.
He asked them to place crosses at the entry and exit of their houses, and married couples to place crosses in their bedrooms as a symbol of love, to ward off Satan whenever he comes with his evil temptations of fighting and quarrelling.
The thanksgiving mass attracted a number of people including the Parish Priest of St. Anthony of Padua in Kasangalabi, Fr. Javiira Kimuli, his curate, Fr. Alex Mugalu, Good Samaritan Sisters, members of the Catholic Women’s Guild, business community from Mukono and the relatives.
