Today, hundreds of Ugandan priests serve across the United States. In 2025, Bishop Simon Peter Engurait of Uganda was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana — a powerful sign of the vital role Ugandan clergy are playing in the American Church. As the Church in the West experiences a shift toward more “conservative” young priests, Ugandan vocations fit perfectly into this renewal.
The Ugandan Seminarian Project
The Ugandan Seminary Project
Ugandan Priests: A Blessing to the Universal Church
Priests from Uganda have a special quality. They seem especially devout, gentle, joyful and transparent, as many Americans who have been privileged to have them as pastors. The deep faith of a culture where reportedly 100% believe in God and a strong formation program — which is getting even stronger — are among the reasons why.
When Prof. Janet Smith (retired Fr. Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI) visited Uganda’s major seminaries, she was very impressed by what she witnessed. Accompanied by noted Catholic author Kevin Wells, she met Fr. Alex Mugalasi and the remarkable young men preparing for the priesthood. Their discipline, openness, and dedication left a lasting impression.
Faithful priests are one of the greatest hopes for our troubled world. The fidelity of the priests of Uganda has been a gift to us all, a gife that God seems to want to send our way!
Discerning a True Vocation
In many developing nations, economic considerations can influence a man’s decision to enter the priesthood. Uganda is no exception — yet the story runs much deeper. Uganda is a land soaked in faith. Virtually 100% of Ugandans believe in God. The blood of the Ugandan Martyrs — St. Charles Lwanga and his companions — still cries out from the soil. Millions of pilgrims visit their national shrine each year, drawn by the heroic witness of these young saints who chose Christ over everything. The young men entering Uganda’s seminaries love Jesus and His Church. All those entering seminary come with a genuine faith but need to discern if they have an authentic vocation. They need strong formation to embrace the full demands of priestly life: poverty, chastity, and obedience that enable them to live lives of total self-giving.
The Propaedeutic Year: Laying a Strong Foundation
The bishops of Uganda understand this reality. That is why they established a dedicated propaedeutic year — a special time of discernment focused on self-knowledge, deep prayer, and understanding the beauty and challenges of the priesthood. For the past two years, Fr. Alex Mugalasi has directed this transformative program under difficult conditions. With no permanent facility, the program moves between seminaries as space allows. Formators generously give their vacation time without salary. Despite the challenges, the results have been outstanding. Young men are receiving the formation they need to discern clearly — and those who continue are doing so with a solid foundation of self-awareness and spiritual depth and the prospect of deepening their self-knowledge as they are accompanied by formators who have come to know them well.
A New Seminary Is Urgently Needed
The Ugandan bishops have now decided to build a permanent propaedeutic seminary dedicated to this crucial first year of formation. Fr. Alex Mugalasi has been appointed to lead it — guiding up to 250 young men each year as they test and strengthen their vocational call. The letter of appointment by the bishops is available here.
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