By Immaculate Kisembo
On July 19, 2025, the Laudato Si’ Green Festival, organized by the Laudato Si Club of Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S run by the Laudato Youth Initiative, took place at Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S in Wanyange, Jinja. The festival’s theme, “Sowing Seeds of Peace and Hope for Creation,” aimed to remind everyone of their role in conserving Mother Earth.
The event began with a “Green Walk” -A Walk of Faith, where students, heads of schools, religious leaders, and community members of Wanyange marched with hope from Holy Cross Parish Bugembe. The group was flagged off by Rev. Fr. Mukasa Francis CSC,the parish priest -Holy Cross Parish Bugembe, who prayed for journey mercies and a successful event. Participating schools included Holy Cross Primary school, Dayspring Elementary school, St Jude Primary school, Busoga College Mwiri, St Marys Secondary school Masese, Viva College, and Good Heart Secondary School.
The Green Mass, led by Rev. Fr. Muto Gerald, Chancellor of Jinja Diocese, featured a procession of the word, liturgical dances, and an offering of gifts of nature. In his homily, Rev. Fr. Muto emphasized the importance of caring for creation and highlighted the encyclical Laudato Si’ by Pope Francis, which stresses that God’s mercy is endless, but nature will not forgive when destroyed.
“You are lucky to be among the people to celebrate mass inaugurated by the Pope,” Rev. Fr. Muto said. “Everyone has a duty and an obligation to take care of the creation-we are interconnected. We take in what is from the atmosphere which is Mother Earth. The encyclical Laudato Si’ by Pope Francis emphasizes that God’s mercy is endless but nature will not forgive. Therefore when we destroy nature, it will pay us in a very tough currency. We are supposed to maintain the environment green, recycle, and make people aware of the goodness of living in a green environment.”
Rev. Fr. Prosper Atukwatse CSC, the Headteacher of Holy Cross Lake View SSS, highlighted the significance of the Green Mass and its connection to the Care of Creation. “We are lucky to be the first people in Uganda, if not the whole of Africa, to celebrate a Green Mass after the Pope’s something we don’t take for granted,” he said. He elaborated on the three main focuses of the festival;
- The promulgation of a new formulary of the Roman Missal dedicated to the Care of Creation by Pope Leo.
- The Jubilee of the Youth, calling forth more young people into faith and climate action.
- The 10th Anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, guiding people to pray for those affected by climate change.
“We are not educating just for exams; but are educating for life,” Rev. Fr. Prosper added. “Helping young people build social connections and friendships. The school shapes citizens for a wounded world—called to bring about better times than ours, in line with the charism of Holy Cross Education.”
Rev. Fr. Olobo Leonard CSC, Financial Controller of the school and Director John Paul II Peace and Justice Centre spoke about building a sustainable and peaceful future through education, faith, and advocacy. “Hope would have us recognize that there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems,” he said, referencing Laudato Si’ 61. He emphasized the importance of:
- Reducing waste and choosing simplicity over excess.
- Treating nature as a gift to cherish, not an object to dominate.
- Fostering dialogue between humanity and the natural world.
Peace making includes economic justice, food security, access to clean water and land rights, he added. As Pope John Paul II once said, ‘Even when the night is darkest, we can always light a candle of Hope’.”
Mr. Male Joseph, the guest of honor, emphasized the importance of building collaboration and agricultural innovation to enhance community livelihood. “We need to do it by sharing basic ways of community living. We are called to be keepers-do your task in the best and basic way,” he said. “We can take advantage to learn the basic things so that we take them on so as to change and influence our communities in a good way.”
The festival also featured presentations from participating schools, including poems, songs, and speeches. An exhibition tent showcased innovative projects, such as a smart dustbin and a greenhouse and other projects made by the students.
The event was made possible by the support of various partners, including Holy Cross Parish Bugembe, Centenary Bank, Holy Cross Centre for Community Empowerment, Foresters HSE,John Paul II Peace and Justice Centre,Laudato Youth Initiative, Kakira Sugar Limited,Rotary Club of Jinja,Holy Cross Family Ministries,Congregation of Holy Cross Province of East Africa and other people of God who donated their gifts and time for the success of the day.
Heartfelt gratitude to everyone that participated in and supported the Laudato Si Green festival 2025.Your presence,enthusiasm and contributions made the event a resounding success.Together we are sowing seeds of peace and hope for our beloved creation. May this spirit of collaboration and care continue inspire us all.
The Laudato Si’ Green Festival served as a reminder of the importance of caring for creation and encouraged young people to take action to protect the environment. As Pope Francis emphasized in Laudato Si’, the festival inspired participants to become stewards of the earth, working towards a future where creation is protected and cherished.
The “Laudato Si Green Festival” is an activity of the Laudato Youth Initiative organized at regional levels through our “Laudato Si Clubs” to engage young people and rally the support of the community and corporate organizations in environmental action. Activities range from community clean-ups and tree distribution and planting, to a “Green Walk” aimed at raising awareness, a “Green Mass” for reflection and ecological conversion and prayer for environmental victims, and showcasing “Creative eco-Innovations” where students promote eco-awareness, sustainable living, food security, and climate responsibility. Read the news story by Nile post
Have look at our activities of July 19 (Part one) – Green Walk, Mass for the Care for the of Creation, Interviews)
Have look at our activities of July 19 (Part Two) –
Full Mass streamed by Ugandan Catholics Online
Zachary Lomo
Beautiful that you are pioneering in establishing a Ladato Si Youth group in Uganda and that we have to protect the environment.
My humble view is that our emphasis on the environment is misplaced, despite our good intentions. Our focus should be on God and Jesus Christ first. To love God and love neighbour. We destroy the environment because we do not love God, as we claim. We are sinners! We love ourselves and in fact, we approach God in our own terms, not according to what God has revealed to us. In short, we live in sin and we no longer have shame and have normalised sin, and even some priests are now afraid to all sin, sin. The Seven Deadly Sins – Pride, Lust, Greed, Sloth, Anger, Envy, and Gluttony rule the world. That is what causes destruction to the environment and brotherhood. What, for example, does a Hamas fighter filled with hatred for the Jew, care about protection the environment, when they are using civilians as human shields? What can a Russian soldier determined to capture Ukranian territory and conquest know about God for him or her to care about the consequences of the bombs dropped on Ukranian civilians and destroying the environment? That calls for Interior spiritual transformation.
The Church should be calling the world to repetence as Jesus did when he started His Ministry: Repetent and turn away from your sins for the kingdom of God is at hand. We can do nothing without God. It is not enough to talk about God’s mercy and yet continue disobeying Him and not receiving that mercy by taking concrete steps to conversion to God.
Jesus did not commission His disciples to teach us about environmental protection. Jesus commissioned his disciples to go all over the world to teach about the Good News that He taught them and to baptise them in the name of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We should NOT follow the world and use its methods. God has revealed to us clear guidelines and called us to holiness. These the things the Church should be focusing on. I believe if we truly live our Catholic faith as Jesus instructed us, the environment will automatically be protected because living in a state of grace allows the Holy Spirit and our Guardian angels to guide on the right path, including being good stewards for everything God has entrusted to us in our different states of life.
Instead of teaching fraternity and environmental degradation, the Church should focus on teaching the Word of God and calling us to holiness. Without Christ, we cannot fraternise and protect the environment or even help out the poor for love of God.