History

Background and location

St. Joseph’s seminary Nyenga is a Minor seminary ( O and A Levels) founded by the Mill Hill Fathers in 1924 ( 96 years of existence). It is located in Buikwe District,  in the Catholic Diocese of Lugazi , 69 Km along Kampala- Jinja Road and 2 km from the main road. It is boarding and  admits only  boys. The current students’ enrollment is 300.

Mission

To excel in producing persons of high intellectual ability, integrity and faith through formation, innovative
programs,research and community engagement”

Vision

To be a model seminary in training and graduating an intellectually sound and integral person well molded in faith and character”


Goals

This seminary prepares young boys from S.1 to S.6 who would like to become priests. It avails necessary integrals Catholic conditions for these seminarians to be formed and to form themselves into future PRIESTS

Journey to Uganda

Way back in 1890/91 the situation in Buganda was steadily degenerating on account of misapprehension about the two principal acknowledged religious denominations namely ,the Protestant(Anglican) Church and Catholic church .The British Company led by Captain Lugard tried to consolidate the protestant faction  to strengthen the British influence in the country.And the Catholic faction regarded this to be very impartial on the part of the company, because they saw the move solely  purposed to bring about the triumph of Protestantism over Catholicism.In retaliation the Catholic Baganda consolidated around the Kabaka and the Protestant Baganda felt insecure.

As a result a number of nasty incidents occurred between the two parties (factions) in which several people lost their lives and property ,and the hostility between Catholics and Protestants increased among the young christians  to the extent of going to war .The Catholics were convinced that the forces of Lugard’s company were put at a disposal of protestant faction to crush the catholics.

Tension ran high and the Catholics concentrated on Mengo Hill while the Protestants camped on Namirembe Hill .Eventually fighting erupted with buildings going into flames and other war destruction.

Some hours later ,the catholics retreated with the Kabaka Mwanga to Bulingugwe island where they re-organised their forces with the aim of coming back to Buganda(Mengo)

The work and fruits of the mill hill fathers in Uganda

“St Joseph’s Foreign Missionary Society  commonly and popularly known as “MILL HILL FATHERS”  after its Mother House based at St.Joseph’s College Mill Hill London arrived in Uganda on 6th September 1895 led by Bishop Henry Hanton.Ever since the Mill Hill Fathers have significantly shared and contributed in the task of evangelisation and of planting the catholic church wherever she had not taken root,very much in line with their founder’s aim :A missionary college is ,by its very nature only provisional and introductory ,the end to be kept in view being to provide every where a good native clergy”

In pursuit of this aim,through Nyenga Seminary and other religious and educational institutions ,the Mill Hill Fathers have provided the church here in Uganda and elsewhere in the world with many  priests and religious men and women as well as responsible lay people in various fields of life .This is an achievement of which the Mill Hill Fathers may  well be proud and thankful to the Almighty God .

St Joseph’s Seminary Nyenga in particular holds a specific pride of place in the history of educational development of Uganda generally in that very many of her old boys are holding high positions in church and in Government services.