Father Emmanuel Barongo used Trinity College Nabbingo’s platinum jubilee celebrations at Lubaga cathedral on February 5 to call upon young people to join the church in order to become ambassadors of Christ abroad to spread the gospel.

Barongo, who is a Missionary of Africa in Namibia, in his oration as the main celebrant, said the age of Africans who join the international congregation is lower compared to other places.

“The White Fathers missionaries were in the age group of 70-80 years; the youngest could have been at 65; so, I call upon well-wishers to come and join us to go in different countries to spread the gospel,” he said, before turning to the girls’ school celebrations at  hand.

Father Emmanuel Barongo during his oration

Cotilda Nakate Kikomeko Birabwa, the college’s head teacher, said the school counts 75 years of purposeful existence because one day Bishop Edward Michaud had a vision of empowering women through formal quality education at secondary level.

She said the school had only 20 students in the beginning, who were later handed over to the White Sisters as administrators for 18 years, until 1960 when they too, handed over administration to the Africans with Margaret Nsereko, becoming the first black headmistress.

Since then, the school has been headed by only old students, a technique used to maintain the school’s virtues of self-drive, discipline, hard work and result-oriented attitudes. Birabwa said they have tried to give an all-round education so that the girls are not only academically sound but also sharp in other fields of life.

“Unlike other old schools that started as single-sex schools, but have turned into mixed schools, Trinity College did not and we still shine with our mission statement,” Birabwa said.

Father Emmanuel Barongo (L) shows a portrait of the college funder during the service

The school old girls were at Lubaga not only to celebrate, but also offer thanks for Nabbingo’s undimming star. Over the years, the school has registered tremendous growth into an academic giant behind many renowned female movers and shakers in Uganda.

One of the old girls said the school played a big role in her spiritual life, thanks to the daily mass at the school chapel that was compulsory.

“We had this nun who on a daily basis insisted we recite the prayer, ‘Holy Mary, pray for us and our future husbands’ and we often shunned it; when I reminiscence, I find that a powerful prayer.”

alfredodcho@gmail.com