The Catholic community in Kampala Archdiocese has paid glowing tribute to Bishop Albert Edward Baharagate, who died on Holy Thursday at Nsambya Hospital.
Bishop Baharagate, had a close association with the Kampala Archdiocese having chosen to retire in Nakulabye parish where he served for over 29 years; longer than most Bishops’ active tenure.
Yesterday, Lubaga Cathedral was filled to capacity as devoted individuals from across the Archdiocese spoke fondly of the Bishop’s unwavering commitment to enhancing and uplifting their communities. many of them came from Nansana, Nankulabye, and Nabulagala, which were formerly a single parish.
Father Simon Peter Lule, the parish priest of Nakulabye, expressed appreciation for the chance to work alongside Bishop Baharagate whom he described as a kind and caring man with a distinct and remarkable personality. He also mentioned the Bishop’s sense of humour, which had the ability to lighten even the most challenging situations.
During his eulogy, Fr. Lule highlighted the Bishop’s unwavering commitment to his faith and community, acknowledging the profound impact he had on the lives of all who knew him. “Bishop Baharagate’s legacy will continue to live on through the countless lives he touched and the memories he left behind,” he noted.
Baharagate, one of the 12 bishops ordained by the Pope during his first papal visit to Africa, served as the Ordinary of Hoima diocese, where he made tremendous strides and laid a solid foundation for the then-young diocese. However, due to ill health, he voluntarily retired in 1991.
Although the diocese had plans to build him a comfortable retirement home, the bishop declined, preferring to retire outside the diocese to avoid overshadowing his successor. In this spirit, he reached out to his friend Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala, then Archbishop of Kampala, who welcomed him with open arms and offered him a place at Nakulabye.
According to Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere, while at Nakulabye, the Bishop actively engaged in every activity and politely demanded to be included in the duty rota of the priests in the parish. In addition, he assisted the ordinaries of the Kampala Archdiocese in administering sacraments whenever he could.
Charles Peter Mayiga, the Katikkiro of Buganda, who frequently visited Nakulabye to pay his respects to Bishop Baharagate says he was a genuinely humble and caring person who expressed his love for humanity through his work with children, the Red Cross-where he served as president from 1994 to 2010, and the scout’s movement.
Mayiga also highlighted that Bishop Baharagate’s life serves as an important lesson to all public officials, as he demonstrated that retirement can be just as rewarding and significant as one’s career years.
During the mass, Msgr Mathias Nyakatura, the Vicar General of Hoima Diocese, who was representing the Bishop of Hoima, reflected on Bishop Baharagate’s deep love for the priests under his care, including those he had ordained during his tenure as the Ordinary of Hoima.
He highlighted that the Bishop had a unique and personal relationship with each of his priests and took great pride in their spiritual growth and accomplishments. Msgr Nyakatura also recounted that the Bishop would call each of the priests he had ordained on their ordination anniversary, year after year, without fail. This was a testament to the Bishop’s enduring care and concern for his priests and the strong bond he shared with them.
Msgr Nyakatura, also expressed his deep appreciation for the faithful and clergy of the Kampala archdiocese, particularly those in Nakulabye, for their warm hospitality and care of Bishop Baharagate during his retirement. He acknowledged that they provided the bishop with a home away from home, where he felt truly contented, as evidenced by the many years he spent among them.
Nyakatura also urged the congregation to express their gratitude to Alifunsi Tugwezire Adyeeri, the Bishop’s caretaker and closest companion, who stood by him through thick and thin, supporting him in both good and bad times, and even during his last moments.
The Vicar General conveyed appreciation for Alifonsi’s unwavering dedication to the Bishop, which was a testament to the deep bond they shared. Alifonsi had been living with the Bishop since he was 11 years old and had been by his side for 42 years.
Bishop Baharagate will be laid to rest in Bujumbura Cathedral mausoleum on Wednesday. It is customary practice for Catholic Bishops to be buried either in a cathedral or a designated burial ground within their diocese.
Brief Biography
Baharagate was born on February 25, 1930, in Nyamigisa village, Masindi District, to Isdore Kwebiiha Abwoli and Febronia Kabanaku Abwoli. After attending Sacred Heart of Jesus Primary School, which later became Saint Dominic Savio Primary School, he went on to study at St. Francis Xavier Kitabi Seminary in Ankole.
He was one of the 12 priests consecrated as bishops during the first Papal Visit to Uganda and Africa on August 1, 1969. At an open-air Mass at Kololo Grounds in Kampala, Pope Paul VI consecrated the 12 Bishops, including four Ugandans.
At the time of his passing, Baharagate was the second longest-living Bishop in Uganda, having celebrated his 53rd episcopal ordination anniversary in August 2022. Only Archbishop James Odongo lived longer as a Bishop, serving for 55 years and eight months.
In 1991, Baharagate retired outside of his diocese to allow his successor to establish his own leadership style, residing at Our Lady of Fatima, Nakulabye Parish, for nearly three decades and making pastoral visits to various Hoima parishes with permission from the reigning bishop. Baharagate also served as the President of the Uganda Red Cross Society between 1994 and 2010.
In 2020, he returned to his home diocese and spent a year at St. Cyprian Parish in Hoima before relocating to his home parish in Masindi.