By Immaculate Tusingwire
30th September 2025 marked exactly 100 years since the foundation of the Medical Mission Sisters on 30th September 1925.
In Uganda the sisters celebrated the Centenary on 13th September 2025 in Arua Diocese, Adjumani. On the same day, three medical Mission sisters pronounced their perpetual profession of vows and a Rehabilitation Centre for persons with disabilities was also officially opened.
The event was graced by the presence of three Bishops; Rt. Rev. Sabino Ocan Odoki, the Bishop of ARUA who was also the main celebrant, Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama of Gulu Archdioceseand Rt. Rev. Sanctus Lino Wanok, Bishop of Lira Diocese.
The Association of Religious in Uganda, (ARU) was well represented with the presence of the President, Rev. Fr. John Bosco Kamoga, together with the Secretary General, Sr. Jane Yatuha, OLGC and the Assistant Secretary General, Sr. Justine Naluggya, IHMR. The attendance of many priests and religious and friends who had travelled from far and near especially Kabale and Tororo contributed to making the day more colourful.
Medical Mission sisters are grateful to all their partners in mission who tirelessly support them in their mission through different ways.
In her Centenary Message, MMS general Superior Sr. Agnes Lanfermann recall the words of Anna Dengel, MMS foundress,
“the impossible of today will be the possible of tomorrow”. She invited the sisters to explore and risk; be open to shift their mindset and be transformed; lift up others in fostering environments where all feel safe, valued, and inspired to contribute creatively.
MMS IN UGANDA
Brief History
The pioneering Medical Mission Sisters came to Uganda in 1962 at the request of Bishop Vincent McCauley, CSC. The Bishop wanted the Sisters to take over Virika Dispensary in his Diocese of Fort Portal. The White Sisters who had been staffing the it wished to leave.
From the very beginning, MMS started construction work beginning with the upgrading of the existing structures. The goal was to upgrade to a Hospital before starting a nursing training program. While the construction of a convent, pharmacy, lab, emergency room and registration offices went on, the sisters kept themselves busy working and learning Rutoro, the language of the area.
Medical safaris to Bwamba on the Zaire border were regularly conducted for two full days and two half days every week except when there was no second doctor available, and when there were tribal fights in certain areas.
The hospital under its new name of Holy Family was blessed on the feast of the Holy Family in 1963. Bishop McCauley presided. By that time, all the MMS hospitals across the world were called Holy Family Hospitals, so Virika was also re-named.
The nursing program finally started as planned on the first of January 1964 with the first group of twelve probationers even though the school was not yet constructed. After four months they received ‘caps and aprons. In March the same year, the private wing of the hospital was inaugurated.
In June 1965, a dental clinic, headed by Dr. Edith was opened at the hospital. Towards the latter part of the year, a second operating room was set up for the simultaneous surgery. The nursing school was constructed and blessed in November 1966.
All senior nursing students were found eligible to appear for the state exams and nine out of eleven passed as enrolled nurses. They were the first to graduate from Holy Family Hospital and from the western region of Uganda.
Weekly safaris were kept up with a record number of patients visiting. At the request of the bishop a monthly safari to the Sudanese Refugee camps were also undertaken.
Moving to Kasanga
For 15 years, from 1963-1978, the sisters made regular safaris to Kasanga and in 1979, they took up residence there. The sisters carried out maternal and child health work and family life, and they would walk and climb hills to reach different villages.
In Kasanga, the sisters constructed two buildings plus foundations for future expansions. They run a government Health Centre with no in-patient beds. They set up clinic sites in 5 sub-counties and trained community health workers and traditional birth attendants.
The patients coming to the centre were many and overwhelming. On carrying out a survey, the sisters realised that measles was a major cause for child mortality and so they started immunizing against measles.
The second cause was severe anaemia cause by hook warm. The sisters encouraged the people to wear shoes and to build toilets and within a short period of time, there was a dramatic reduction of under-five mortality rate.
MMS Mission in Uganda
Presently, the sisters serve in the dioceses of Arua (Adjumani), Kampala (Bukoto), Kabale (Rubanda) and Tororo (Angorom) in the following priority areas for mission; eco-spirituality and advocacy against exploitation of planet Earth, mega-migration, healthcare and health promotion, escalating violence, exploitation and injustice against women and children, needs of children and youth and responding to mission in accordance to the needs and signs of the times.
