Initially the Catholic Community had very small numbers of students and was operated as an out-station of Our Lady of Africa, Mbuya Parish. There was no designated place of worship at the campus. Besides not having a definite place of worship, the Community did not also have a substantive Chaplain. From the formation of NCBS shortly after 1985, a fortnightly visit by a priest was arranged to have Mass at the campus. The Comboni House at Mbuya designated Fr. John Troy who was the Editor of Leadership for this outreach mission. From 1989, arrangements were made by the few catholic students to have Mass every Sunday. The College administration did not have an objection and allowed them to use an upper room that was used by the department of Stenography – thanks to the head of department, the late Deogratious Gafabusa who acted as the Patron of the Community. Fr. Troy committed his time to the community for Sundays and other days of obligation.
In mid 1990, the upper room became too small for the growing numbers. The College administration allocated a bigger class room for the Catholic Chaplaincy – thanks to Mrs. Mary Kisubi, by then College Registrar who had become the Patron of the Community. From the 1990/91 academic year, the election of new leaders became a cherished tradition. In 1991 Fr. Troy left the country and was replaced at Leadership Magazine and NCBS Chaplaincy thankfully by Raphael Dellagiacoma (RIP, died 12 April 2008). Fr. Jack, as was fondly called, was committed to the growth of the community; together with the then leadership, he initiated the acquisition of land for construction. The idea was stalled when the College BOD noted that the ground plan did not provide for places of worship. Fr Jack encouraged active participation in ecclesial associations and movements. In 1995 Fr. Jack was transferred to Arua but his replacement at Leadership was not keen on the NCBS chaplaincy.
Fr. Paul Serra (RIP, died 15 July 2005) who was by then the National Youth Chaplain at the Uganda Catholic Secretariat temporarily took up the NCBS mission. He kept the community alive despite his very busy schedule with national assignments. In 1996, he was substantively replaced by Fr. Luciano Fulvi, who had been posted at Comboni House as Vocations Director. St. Charles Lwanga, now under MUBS got through a lot of growth in numbers and active participation of members. Fr. Fulvi was later posted to Gulu where he met his death (murdered in cold blood in 2003). In 1998 by good coincidence Fr. Jack was returned to Leadership Magazine; and he immediately took up his mission at St. Charles Lwanga and continued the work of his predecessors. He resumed the mobilization for the construction of a chapel. By then numbers had grown and preparing a room for celebrations was always a challenge, sometimes Mass being postponed when examinations were in session.
Fr. Dellagiacoma, in 1998 approached the new management to revive the earlier request to the School Administration to provide land for the Catholic Chaplaincy to build its premises. On 4 March 1998 the Director of the School then, Associate Professor Waswa Balunywa, wrote back acknowledging this request. It was only on 15 March 2004 that the School Secretary wrote to Cardinal Wamala informing him that the School had allocated a site for the Catholic Community of St. Charles Lwanga. On 18 April 2004 the Archbishop of Kampala, Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala, visited the site, blessed it, and broke the ground. Fr. Dellagiacoma moved fast, had the first architectural plans made and even launched the fundraising drive for the construction.
These were later revised to have the present plans which were approved by the Kampala City Council on 20 February 2007.
In the middle of 2004, Fr. Jack shared his desire to be replaced by a substantive, resident chaplain. He indeed requested Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala, the then Archbishop of Kampala, for the replacement. The same request was placed before MUBS Management for consideration. The School Secretary formally wrote to Cardinal Wamala to second a candidate for the position. Fr. Dr. Lawrence L. Ssemusu, who was at the time Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Uganda Martyrs University, was seconded and appointed as the First Resident Chaplain of St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Community, MUBS. He took up his appointment on 1 September 2004. His Eminence the Cardinal raised the Chaplaincy to the Status of a Quasi-Parish on 26 November 2004 with all the rights and obligations. The Chaplaincy can now have its own registers. Under Fr. Ssemusu, the Chaplaincy has continued to grow in faith, numbers, associations and movements and looking forward to having its own premises blessed soon
