Masaka Diocese bans sunday visitations to keep parents in church
The decision aligns with the diocese’s broader efforts to strengthen spiritual growth. It has also reaffirmed its commitment to teaching Christian Religious Education (CRE) in its schools, despite the subject being removed from the national curriculum.
The Masaka Catholic Diocese has banned school visitations on Sundays, arguing that parents are prioritizing visits over attending Mass.
Father Michael Kamulegeya, the diocese’s education secretary, said many Christian parents spend Sundays preparing to visit their children in boarding schools, leading to missed Masses and a decline in faith.
“Parents are spending their Sundays moving to schools to visit their children, and this is affecting their faith,” he said on Saturday.
To counter this, the diocese has directed its schools to open for visitations on Saturdays instead of Sundays.
The decision aligns with the diocese’s broader efforts to strengthen spiritual growth. It has also reaffirmed its commitment to teaching Christian Religious Education (CRE) in its schools, despite the subject being removed from the national curriculum.
“The Episcopal Conference has resolved that CRE should continue to be taught in our schools, and we shall follow that,” Father Kamulegeya added.
Meanwhile, Father Francis Xavier Lubega, the Masaka Diocesan Inspector of Schools, urged private school proprietors to address students’ concerns to prevent strikes.
School administrators have welcomed the new policy, saying it allows them to attend Sunday Mass and reduces disruptions to the school week.
“We had already decided to shift our visitation day to Saturday because our teachers were getting tired and missing classes on Monday,” said Josephine Nanfuka, a teacher at Archbishop Kiwanuka Secondary School.
