North Kigezi Diocese News
The Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Onesimus Asiimwe, has consecrated St. Philip’s Nyabugando Church of Uganda in Bugarama Parish, Bwambara Archdeaconry, and officiated a mass wedding of 26 couples.
The church, which began in 1966 as Nyabugando Church of Uganda Sub-Parish, was consecrated during a service that brought together Christians from Bwambara Archdeaconry and beyond to celebrate the milestone.
In his message, Bishop Asiimwe urged Christians who have not yet solemnised their marriages to embrace church weddings and have their marriages blessed before God. He also called upon couples to embrace reconciliation, salvation and Christian values.
Adding to his message, Bishop Asiimwe called upon husbands to remain faithful to their wives and refrain from pursuing other women. He urged men to remain faithful to one wife, saying that those who had multiple wives but had now entered into a church marriage had made a covenant with the wife they had wedded.
He also appealed to women who had entered relationships with men already married in church to respect those marriages and withdraw from them, urging couples to honour their marriage covenants and remain faithful to one another.
The Bishop encouraged husbands to love and sacrifice for their wives, saying that one of the greatest gifts a father can give his children is to love their mother. He also urged Christians to keep politics and political affiliations out of the Church and instead focus on developing their families and church projects.
Speaking at the occasion, Maama Florence Asiimwe expressed happiness over the 26 couples who had chosen to solemnise their marriages in church. She said the mass wedding was a great benefit to both the Mothers’ Union and Fathers’ Union in North Kigezi Diocese.
She encouraged clergy across the Diocese to embrace mass weddings as a way of bringing more couples together to enter into holy matrimony and have their marriages blessed by the Church.
Bishop Asiimwe commended the church leadership and Christians for their efforts in developing the congregation to the level of consecration. He particularly appreciated Lay Reader Samuel Mbahena and Head of Laity Gerald Ndamwesiga for their commitment and leadership.
The church leadership said it was looking forward to establishing a nursery school and undertaking other development projects, including completing the church building and growing more coffee in addition to the three acres that have been planted. Christians were encouraged to continue supporting these initiatives.
Elder of North Kigezi Diocese and friend of the Church, Emmanuel Turyamuhika Kikoni, who contributed towards the roofing of the church, congratulated the Christians upon the milestone and thanked them for inviting him to witness both the consecration and mass wedding.
The Archdeacon of Bwambara, the Ven. Eldard Twikirize Rukuru, thanked Bishop Asiimwe for officiating the occasion and appreciated his message on truth, salvation and Christian living. He pledged continued support for the development of the church.
Representatives of the newly wedded couples, including Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Ainembabazi and Mr. and Mrs. Rubarema Dismas Warren, thanked the Bugarama Parish leadership for organising the mass wedding. Mr. and Mrs. Rubarema, who had spent 37 years not officially married, expressed joy at finally having their marriage solemnised before God and the Church.
A remarkable moment was witnessed when four couples from two generations of the same families tied the knot during the same ceremony. Kyarikunda Marion and Ahimbisibwe Denis were wedded alongside Marion’s parents, Twinomuyambi Charles and Bunyenyeri Jane, while Kanyarutookye Jackson and Turyasingura Allen were wedded alongside Jackson’s parents, Bamutonda Francis and Kyomugisha Kerias.
The mass wedding was the first major mass wedding held in North Kigezi Diocese since Bishop Asiimwe was installed as the diocesan Bishop.
By Ayebazibwe Sezi
Photos by Ankunda Jordan
Source: NKD MEDIA
