“Once you love the environment and you are tidy, this world would be a better world to live in, and there would be no need for us to have a national day of cleaning.”
Bishop Banja’s words rang out clearly at St. Stephen’s Kitende Church of Uganda as he addressed thirty newly confirmed students from St. Mary’s Kitende. In a single sentence he linked faith with everyday responsibility—care for the earth, care for oneself, and care for the community. For these young people, confirmation was not only a spiritual milestone; it was a call to live cleanly and thoughtfully in the world God has given them.
The Bishop urged the students to walk in the way of the Lord, reminding them that true discipleship shows itself in simple habits of order and respect for creation. He thanked Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa for his generous support toward the construction of the church, a gift that has given the community a fitting place in which to gather and grow.
Turning to the parents, Bishop Banja encouraged them to keep their children close to their godparents, those special companions in the faith. At the same time he cautioned that those who have left the Church of Uganda should not be allowed to influence the children, lest they draw them away from the path they have just chosen. He expressed gratitude to the parents for bringing their sons and daughters forward for confirmation.
Rev. Can. Henry Ssegawa, the Diocesan Secretary, invited everyone present to contribute toward the reconstruction of the Bishop’s house at Namirembe. The guest wing is nearly complete, he reported, and the Bishop hopes to move in before the year ends. He also spoke of a marathon planned for early October and asked that the children be encouraged to buy a marathon kit for 20,000 shillings. Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa is expected to serve as chief runner.
Parish Priest Rev. Samuel Muwonge added his own thanks to Dr. Mulindwa for building and handing over the front stairs of the church at his own expense. In Dr. Mulindwa’s absence—he was away in Kigali with Vipers—Deputy Headmaster Buyondo Christopher Musoke represented him. He affirmed the school’s continuing partnership with the Church, congratulated the thirty confirmands on their milestone, and noted that their commitment already shows a desire to live disciplined lives in the way of the Lord. He promised to speak with the Executive Director about granite work in the church and presented a gift from the ED to the Bishop.
Throughout the service, the message remained clear: faith that loves God also loves the world He has made. Thirty young people left the church carrying both a sacred commitment and a practical charge—to keep themselves tidy, to care for the environment around them, and to make the places they live a little more like the Kingdom they have pledged to serve.
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