More than 6,300 pupils from 58 schools gathered at Kitovu Cathedral in Masaka on Sunday for the 2026 Children’s Missionary Sunday celebrations, where parents were urged to play a central role in nurturing their children’s spiritual growth and missionary calling.
Leading the Holy Mass, the Pastoral Coordinator of Masaka Diocese, Rev. Fr. James Ssendege Ssekitto, said parents have a responsibility to help their children discover and develop their God-given talents and ministries from an early age.
The celebrations were held under the theme: “Even as a Young Child in the Missionary Childhood Association, I Can Participate in Proclaiming the Gospel.”
Fr. Ssendege encouraged parents to guide their children towards serving God through different vocations and professions, noting that proclaiming the Gospel is not limited to priests and religious leaders.
He said children can spread Christian values by becoming teachers, healthcare workers, responsible parents, religious sisters, priests, and professionals who serve society with integrity.
According to Fr. Ssendege, raising children with strong moral and spiritual values will produce responsible, God-fearing citizens and public servants, helping to reduce corruption and other social vices affecting the country.
“A child who receives proper guidance from home is less likely to abandon the values instilled by their parents or imitate negative behaviours they were never exposed to,” he said.
He called upon parents, teachers, religious leaders and all those in positions of leadership to actively mentor children and help them grow into responsible members of society.
Addressing the children, Fr. Ssendege encouraged them to show compassion by supporting their less privileged peers and living lives that reflect Christian teachings.
He added that nurturing children in God’s ways from an early age would contribute to building a peaceful Uganda and a better world founded on honesty, love and justice.
Rev. Fr. Augustine Ntabaana, the Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Masaka Diocese, explained that this year’s theme reminds children that they are active members of the Church with a responsibility to proclaim the Gospel according to their age and abilities.
Drawing from Mark 16:12-16, Fr. Ntabaana said children should embrace missionary work by witnessing Christ through their words and actions in their homes, schools and communities.
He also appealed for support towards the Children’s Missionary Fund, explaining that the contributions are used by the Pope to assist vulnerable children across the world through various charitable and pastoral programmes.
Fr. Ntabaana further urged school administrators to give children more opportunities to participate in Church ministries, including serving at the altar, singing in church choirs, reading Scripture during Mass and taking part in other liturgical activities.
The diocesan celebration attracted more than 6,300 pupils from 58 schools across Masaka Diocese. Following the Mass, the children were treated to a celebration that included food, drinks and entertainment.
