Leadership Magazine – Fr. Mubangizi

Fr. Mubangizi

Feb 17, 2021 Leader Mission 0

Who is Fr. Mubangizi

I am Fr John Bosco Mubangizi. I was born to Mr Baryagira Alexanda and Mrs Baryagira Virginia Tibinsasa on 21st August 1976 in Kakore catholic Parish in Kabale Uganda. I am the fourth born of eleven children. The first two years of my life were spent in Kabale, but due to over population, my parents decided to migrate to Bushenyi. When it was time for me to begin school, I was registered at Rwempungu Primary School for my Primary one.

When I was in Primary two, I was asked to teach the new comers of Primary one, and that made me miss primary two. I was later promoted to Primary three and I completed my Primary Seven in 1990. In 1991, I joined Kigarama Senior Secondary School for my Ordinary Level and in 1994, I sat for my Uganda Certificate Examination (UCE) then went to St Michael’s High school Rugazi in Bushenyi for advanced level.

Later, I joined Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in Kampala for three years. I did a higher diploma in Marketing. After school, I began working with Radiant health club in Kampala as a manager then later moved to Namirembe Pharmacy as a manager.

What inspired you to become a consecrated religious?
When I was in Primary five, I had applied to join the Minor Seminary in Mbarara Archdiocese. Luckily, I was admitted but I lacked school fees. I kept the desire that if one day I got the opportunity, I would become a priest. While at St Michael, I applied to join the major seminary. Fortunately, after my senior six, I was admitted to a Major Seminary but I did not join because my Parish Priest advised otherwise. Noting that vocation is never late, he advised me to join the university first since I was admitted on government sponsorship.

It was at MUBS that I met the Comboni Missionaries because our chaplain Fr Fluvi Luciano (RIP) was a Comboni Missionary himself. Since I had the desire of serving God as a way of returning his love for me, I began with teaching catechism at St. Kizito. At that time, I was with Fr Joseph Archetti and Fr Paulo Monera who were working at Our Lady of Africa Mbuya catholic Parish.

Later, I worked with Fr John Piton in different hospitals. I guess that is where my missionary vocation started. I also had a chance of going for the Blessed Sacrament with Fr Enrico and the Lay Comboni missionaries who were taking care of street children. At that time, I developed a desire to become a Lay Comboni missionary.

I decided to seek spiritual guidance from my Chaplain about it. During our conversation, he discovered that my deep desire was to become a Missionary Priest and not a Lay missionary. From there, he told me more about the Comboni Missionaries and how to get into the congregation.
Fortunately, Fr Fluvi and Fr Maurizio Balducci were the Vocation Directors of the Comboni Missionaries then. Fr Fluvi asked me to apply which I did and I was admitted into the congregation.

By Irene Lamunu