The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka Rt. Rev Severus Jjumba has on Thursday July 6th 2023, celebrated four years of Episcopate.
Bishop Jjumba was appointed to that position on 16 April 2019 and was consecrated bishop on 6 July 2019 at Kitovu, Masaka.
This years’ celebrations have been held at Bukulula Parish in Kalungu District at a colourful event attended by hundreds of believers and dignitaries.
He was born on 2 July 1962 at Katinnyondo, Kyannamukaaka, Masaka District, in the Buganda Region of Uganda, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka. His parents are the late Herman Jildo Ssebiranda and Leocadia Namazzi.
He attended St. Augustine’s and St. Paul Primary School, Kitovu, Masaka. He then joined Bukalasa Minor Seminary, in Kalungu District. Later he studied at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, at Katigondo, also in Kalungu District.
He then completed his theological studies at St. Mary’s National Major Seminary, at Ggaba, in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. He also has a Master of Education degree and a Diploma in Religious Studies, both awarded by Makerere University.
He was ordained priest on 20 June 1992, at Masaka, when he was 29 years and 11 months old. He served at Bikira Parish from 1991 until 1993. He was the formator and treasurer at Bukalasa Minor Seminary between 1993 and 2000. In 2000, he was appointed as the treasurer of the Catholic Diocese of Masaka, serving in that capacity until 2014. From 2014 until 2019, he was the Vicar General of Masaka Diocese.
On Tuesday, 16 April 2019, Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Serverus Jjumba, the new bishop of Masaka Diocese, replacing Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa, who had tendered his resignation, having attained the Mandatory retirement age of 75 years, on 23 March 2018.
Bishop Kaggwa remained the apostolic administrator of Masaka Doicese until “the day of the canonical possession by the new bishop”
He was consecrated bishop, on 6 July 2019 by his predecessor now the Late Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa, assisted by Bishop Lambert Bainomugisha Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Mbarara, Bishop Joseph Anthony Zziwa Bishop of Kiyinda-Mityana, Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, Archbishop of Kampala and Archbishop Luigi Bianco, Titular Archbishop of Falerone and Papal Nuncio to Uganda.
Masaka Catholic Diocese is composed of 63 parishes from 10 districts in the Greater Masaka Region of the Catholic faith in Uganda, constituted with the approval of the Holy See, through which the religious fathers, sisters, and brothers express their collegiate responsibility through collective action, to assure the progress of the Church and coordination of its social and pastoral ministry. It is headed by a Bishop who is elected by the Pope. He is assisted by an Executive Board, also chosen by the Bishop.
May 25, 1939: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Masaka from the Apostolic Vicariate of Uganda
On March 25, 1953: Promoted as Diocese of Masaka
Here are the 5 Bishops Masaka has had:
- Vicar Apostolic of Masaka (Roman rite)
- Bishop Joseph Kiwánuka, M. Afr. R.I.P. (1939.05.25 – 1953.03.25
- Bishops of Masaka (Roman rite)
- Bishop Joseph Kiwánuka, M. Afr. R.I.P. (see above 1953.03.25 – 1960.12.20), appointed Archbishop of Rubaga
- Bishop Adrian Kivumbi Ddungu R.I.P. (1961.11.11 – 1998.01.10)
- Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa R.I.P. (1998.01.10 – 2019.04.16)
- Bishop Serverus Jjumba (Episcopal ordination on 6 July 2019)
