Christ the King Catholic Church

For other uses, see Christ the King Church.
Christ The King Catholic Church
Religion
AffiliationRoman Catholic
DistrictArchdiocese of Kampala, Parish of Christ The King
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusParish church
LeadershipArchbishop: Paul Ssemogerere
Parish Priest: Gerald Kalumba
Year consecrated1930
Location
Location3 Colvile Street
Kampala, Uganda
Geographic coordinates00°18′52″N 32°35′04″E / 0.31444°N 32.58444°E / 0.31444; 32.58444
Architecture
Architect(s)Ssentoogo & Partners Architects
Completed1930
Capacity900 (Current)
1,500 (Planned)

Christ The King Catholic Church, also Christ The King Church, is the parish church of Christ The King Catholic Parish in Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda.

Location

The church is located at the junction of Colville Street and Kimathi Avenue, on Nakasero Hill, in the Central Division of Kampala. The church property is bounded by Portal Avenue to the south.[1] The coordinates of the church are 0°18'52.0"N, 32°35'04.0"E (Latitude:0.314444; Longitude:32.584444).[2]

Overview

The church serves Christ The King Catholic Parish, which covers Nakasero, Kololo, and Old Kampala.[3] Many worshippers, however, come from other parts of the city and surrounding neighborhoods to pray at this location.[3] As of September 2016, the seating capacity inside the church was about 600.[4] Because of the size of the congregation, there is insufficient space inside the church to accommodate all the worshippers. During mass and other large events, tents are erected outside the church where worshippers follow the proceedings on loudspeakers.[3]

History

The church was built in 1930 by the immigrant Goan community who had come to Uganda to construct the Uganda Railway.[3] In 1972, following the expulsion of Ugandan Asians by dictator Idi Amin, the church underwent a modest expansion to its present dimensions.[3]

Expansion

In 1992, plans were initiated to enlarge the church to accommodate more worshippers. The parish began putting aside some funds to cover the expansion costs that year.[3] In 2013, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) rejected the expansion plans submitted that year because the plans lacked parking space.[5]

Beginning in November 2016, the church will begin a multi-phased expansion and renovation that will last until 2018. The seating capacity will be increased from the current 600 to 1,500.[4] The architectural plans were drawn by Ssentoogo & Partners Architects. The construction contract was awarded to Seyani Brothers, a Ugandan construction company. The budgeted construction costs are UGX:8.8 billion.[4] As of October 2016, about 78 percent of the needed funds (approx. UGX 6.864 billion), had been collected, leaving a balance of about UGX 1.936 billion.[6] The renovations are expected to conclude in April 2018.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Location of Christ The King Church, Kampala" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  2. ^ "The Geographical Coordinates of Christ The King Church" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Bendana, Christopher (11 January 2016). "Christ The King Church to get facelift". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Alex B Atuhaire (25 September 2016). "Christ the King Church to be renovated". Daily Monitor Mobile. Kampala. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  5. ^ Kiyaga, Abdu (25 April 2013). "City rejects Christ the King Church expansion proposal". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  6. ^ Otage, Stephen (7 October 2016). "Donors are tired of aiding Uganda, says Archbishop Kizito Lwanga". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  7. ^ Musinguzi, Bamutaraki (23 December 2017). "East African cities fighting for living heritage". The EastAfrican. Nairobi.