Bishop Lawrence Mukasa Calls for Massive Registration of Pilgrims to the Holy Land During the 29th Diocesan Day Celebrations

Posted on March 17, 2026
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By BERNARD BAKALU

Luweero

The Rt. Rev. Lawrence Mukasa, Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Kasana-Luweero, has made a fervent pastoral appeal for the massive registration of pilgrims to the Holy Land as the Diocese prepares to celebrate its 29th Diocesan Day.

The anniversary celebrations, animated this year by Nakaseke Deanery, will take place on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Diocesan Headquarters in Kasana–Luweero.

Echoing the Bishop’s call, the Diocesan Pastoral Coordinator, Rev. Fr. Cyril Kasigwa Sande, has urged all Parish Executive Secretaries to intensify the mobilization and documentation of prospective pilgrims, describing the initiative as “a spiritual journey of grace for the People of God.”

During Holy Mass marking the official closure of the Jubilee Year on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at Our Lady of Fatima Queen of Peace Kasana Cathedral, Bishop Mukasa solemnly announced that the Diocese had embarked on preparations for a major pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2027.

The pilgrimage is scheduled from Friday, February 5, 2027, to Tuesday, February 9, 2027.

In his pastoral exhortation, the Bishop invited the faithful to consider the profound spiritual significance of walking in the very footsteps of Christ:

“To journey to the Holy Land is to enter more deeply into the mystery of our salvation. There, faith is not only professed — it is encountered.”

Pilgrims will have the singular grace of visiting at least twenty-one sacred and historic sites intimately associated with the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, including the River Jordan, the Holy Sepulchre (the Tomb of Our Lord), Nazareth, Bethlehem, Cana of Galilee, and Jerusalem — the Holy City of our Redemption.

Participants sharing accommodation will contribute UGX 7,000,000, while those opting for single-room accommodation will contribute UGX 8,000,000.

In order to ensure an orderly and efficient process, the Diocese convened a special training workshop for all Parish Executive Secretaries on data collection and registration procedures. The training commenced on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in the Boardroom at the Diocesan Headquarters in Kasana–Luweero.

A day earlier, Rev. Fr. Cyril Kasigwa Sande had communicated through the Parish Executive Secretaries’ official WhatsApp forum, urging their prompt attendance. He underscored the urgency and ecclesial importance of the exercise, encouraging participants to carry laptops where possible, while noting that smartphones could also suffice. Each participant was required to have an active email address to facilitate accurate digital registration.

In a subsequent communication dated Friday, February 27, 2026, Fr. Kasigwa reiterated that Bishop Mukasa had directed all relevant officials to intensify the exercise, just as was successfully done during the closure of the Jubilee Year on December 28, 2025.

The Diocesan Press has learned that this message is addressed to all potential pilgrims, inviting them to ensure they are duly registered and documented as part of the initial and indispensable preparations for the 2027 pilgrimage.

Fr. Kasigwa expressed sincere gratitude to those Parish Executive Secretaries who have already entered the names of prospective pilgrims into the system. He further assured that any challenges encountered should be promptly communicated to his office so that appropriate assistance may be extended and the sacred undertaking may proceed seamlessly.

Building on a Strong Pilgrimage Tradition

This forthcoming pilgrimage to the Holy Land builds upon the Diocese’s recent and remarkable experience of organizing a large-scale international pilgrimage.

In July 2025, the Diocese successfully sent 241 pilgrims to Rome to participate in the Jubilee Year celebrations proclaimed by Pope Francis. Each pilgrim contributed over UGX 7 million toward the spiritual journey, which was widely hailed as a moment of renewal, communion, and ecclesial pride for the local Church.

As Bishop Mukasa continues to shepherd the faithful with apostolic zeal, the call to pilgrimage resonates with the timeless words of Sacred Scripture:

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

The 2027 pilgrimage to the Holy Land is an invitation to deeper faith, and a mission to return renewed, bearing witness to Christ in Kasana–Luweero and beyond.