Dennis' Wedding in Kampala

The Sudanese contingent attired in their African best for the wedding.

On Wednesday, December 1st, Fr. Sylvester and I, accompanied by six Sudanese youth and two other adult passengers drove from Torit to Katikamu, Uganda, just north of the capital city of Kampala. We were up at 4 am, had Mass at 5 and got on the road shortly after 6. Because they were to depart for the US and Honduras from Kampala the following week, the three lay missionaries stayed behind and flew to Kampala the next day to allow for additional passenger room in the vehicle. Our road trip was relatively uneventful by African standards. We had to stop for about 20 minutes en route to the border due to demining activities along the side of the road. It took us about an hour to get through Sudanese immigration and another three hours (due to techincal network difficulties in registering our vehicle with customs) on the Uganda side. One of the braces on the rear fuel tank got disconnected and had to be tied between the border and Gulu, and we had to repair a flat tire on the highway in the dark about an hour away from our destination. We were very grateful to arrive safe and sound after 15 hours on the road at 9:30 pm. The following day Carol, Roger and Joe arrived at Entebbe International Airport on a small Mission Avaiation Fellowship prop flight.

Agnes and Dennis exchange vows.

One of the main purposes of our trip was to attend the wedding of Dennis Kiyimba, the Ugandan lay missionary with whom I served for the past two years in Torit. On Thursday the traditional African wedding ceremony (or "Introduction," as it is called here), which included the meeting of the families, an exchange of gifts and the payment of the dowry, took place. On Saturday the wedding Mass was celebrated at the Church of St. Matthias Mulumba in Old Kampala on the very site of the martyrdom of the eldest of the Uganda martyrs. The location had special significance because in choosing to be baptized, St. Matthias Mulumba had to select only one of his four wives to be his Christian spouse, making him a striking witness to the meaning of sacramental marriage. The celebration was a very beautiful and moving experience of worship, with many of Dennis' and Agnes' friends from the Catholic charismatic renewal participating (including the music ministry) in addition to their families. The colorful celebration continued with a reception that lasted into the evening and included many other Buganda tribal customs.

The reception, complete with fireworks, champagne and confetti.

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