Laity Commission - Masaka Diocese

About Laity Commission

The Catholic Laity are the ordinary members of the Catholic Church who are neither clergy nor recipients of Holy Orders or vowed to life in a religious order or congregation. Their mission, according to the Second Vatican Council, is to “sanctify the world”. The Laity represent Christ and his Church and bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church. The laity forms the majority of the estimated over one billion Catholics in the world.

Vision, Mission & Objectives

Vision:

To be a distinguished self-sustaining commission offering spiritual and financial support to the church leadership.

Mission:

To ensure a sustained evangelization process.

Objectives:

The commission mobilizes, guides, and serves the laity to enable them witness Christ in their daily lives wherever they live and in their places of work. (Mt. 5:13-16). The commission helps Christians to participate in apostolic service and in leadership at all levels

Executive Members

The current Executive Committee of the Masaka Diocesan Laity Commission has the following members:

	Responsibility	Name
1	Chairperson / Ssabakristu	Mrs. Regina Nalubega Kitaka
2	Vice Chairperson	Mr. John Lutalo Kabajjo
3	Secretary	Mr. Niyomulemi Godfrey
4	Treasurer	Hon. Kemirembe Pauline
5	Ssabafumbo	Mr. Barigye Parkalasio
6	Nnabafumbo	Mrs. Grace Mugume
7	Ow’abasajja	Hon. Kalemba Christopher
8	Ow’abakyaala	Mrs. Imelda Muwonge
9	Ssabavubuka	Mr. Arthur Mubiru
10	Nabavubuka	Ms. Namugga Jackline
11	Ow’ebibiina by’enkola enkatoliki	Ms. Nanyondo Maria
12	Ow’ebyengunjula	Ms. Rose Nalubowa Musajj’akaawa
13	Justice and Peace	Mr. Mugerwa Francis
14	Cooperatives	Mr. Ssozi George William
15	Executive Secretary	Mr. Ssemwogerere Joseph Mary
16	Chaplain	Fr. Lubega George William

The Commission Committees' Chairpersons

	Committee	Current Leadership
1	Executive (Ssabakristu)	Mrs. Regina Nalubega Kitaka
2.	Parish Leaders (Bassabakristu)	Ssalongo John Lutalo Kabajjo
3.	Family Apostolate	· Mr. Barigye Parkalasio · Mrs. Grace Mugume
4.	Women’s Guild	Ms. Imelda Muwonge
5.	Men’s Guild	Mr. Kalemba Christopher
6.	Youth Ministry	· Mr. Arthur Mubiru · Ms. Namugga Jackline
7.	Lay Apostolate Movements	Ms. Nanyondo Maria
8.	Justice and Peace	Mr. Mugerwa Francis
9.	Professionals
10.	Catholic Workers’ Movement
11.	Education (Eby’engunjula)	Ms. Rose Nalubowa Musajja akaawa

Duties of the Commission

Design an annual work plan to enable the laity perform their laity apostolate appropriately; this plan has to be approved by the Diocesan Pastoral Council.
Help in the election, monitoring and guiding of Pastoral work committees in the Diocese.
To train people elected in positions of leadership and to guide them perform their expected duties effectively.
To give retreats and trainings to the laity in the Diocese.
To bring together the laity from different societies and backgrounds and to enable them carry out their responsibilities in their families, the church and the nation at large.
To budget for the commission and allocate the received funds to the different committees of the commission.
To write reports to the Diocesan Pastoral Council or any other concerned committee about the activities of the commission.
To find ways of getting funds to help in executing church duties.
To put into practice all directives to the commission from the Bishop or other senior committees.
To study important documents especially those directed to the laity and extract information relevant for the laity.
To participate in the organization of the different Diocesan feast days and other Diocesan functions.
To act as a bridge between the Diocesan Laity and the nation.
To explore issues hindering justice and peace in our areas and to find ways of overcoming them.
To help people understand to always work for and to live in justice and peace.
To mobilise people to participate always in leadership and to work together always in tasks and responsibilities for development in all sectors.
To visit all Deaneries and Parishes to ensure that pastoral work is carried out effectively and to give advice where necessary to enable them perform better.
To find out and understand situations that are challenging Christianity and their pastoral mission so that they can be overcome.
To help Christians to understand and to participate in politics.
To help other commissions to execute their duties as may be required.
To find ways of re-energizing lay apostolate movements and to ensure that advice given by the synod is adopted.
To help Christians understand, love and preserve the glory of matrimony.
To strive in helping the youth find joy and benefits from their church.

The commission comprises of the following committees with their executive members and duites in the commission:

Men’s Guild

Executive Committee Members

	Responsibility	Name
1	Chairperson	Mr. Kalemba Christopher
2	Vice Chairperson
3	Secretary
4	Treasurer
5	Committee Member (Male)
6	Chaplain

Duties of the Committee

To encourage all men to find out issues that have kept them behind, issues that have ashamed them and prevented them from performing their duties so that find means of resolving them.
To encourage men to love their religion.
To encourage men to love their country and also to promote love amongst themselves.
To encourage men to participate in developmental projects and to discourage them from merely expecting donations.
To unite catholic men and to encourage them to fulfil their responsibilities to the nation and the church.
To strive and maintain men’s status and to strive not to lower themselves.
To find ways of solving problems in their lives through trainings and retreats.
To be a bridge uniting all Catholic men within the diocese to all other men outside the Diocese and other parts of the world.
To encourage men to participate in religious activities, politics and other leadership positions.
To help them promote their talents, to work hard and to sustain themselves.
To encourage them to celebrate their annual feast day.

To encourage the men to understand their responsibilities in educating their children.

Women’s Guild

Executive Committee Members

	Responsibility	Name
1	Chairperson	Ms. Imelda Muwonge
2	Vice Chairperson
3	Secretary
4	Treasurer
5	Committee Member (Male)
6	Chaplain

Objectives of the Committee

To bring together all women movements within the Diocese.
To promote the women apostolate within the Diocese.
To be a channel connecting the women to all Diocesan leaders.
To be a bridge connecting all women within the Diocese to the National women’s council and to other women movements in the whole world.
To enable women help each other and develop themselves in Christianity and finance and to strive to maintain their self-status.
To help the women to work together in all activities that promote development in the country and the church by working with all the other people.

Duties of the Committee

To organize trainings that enable all women to understand and fight for their self-esteem and their self-respect.
To ensure that women clubs are re-energized.
To set up shops in trading centers from where they can sell their products ad to look for markets.
To strive and promote good health in their families.
To encourage all the women to participate in developmental projects like farming, livestock and trading.
To encourage all women to find out issues that keep them lagging behind, issues that bring them suffering and issues that make them ashamed, to think deeply about these issues and to find ways of overcoming the.
To encourage women to participate in national politics and in church leadership.

Professionals

Executive Committee Members

	Responsibility	Name
1	Chairperson
2	Vice Chairperson
3	Secretary
4	Treasurer
5	Committee Member
6	Chaplain

Duties of the Committee

Bring together all catholic professionals and to encourage them to achieve objectives of their professions.
Encourage them to love each other, bring them together, help each other and advise each other.
To be a voice for all professionals in the Diocese.
To encourage the professionals to participate in religious activities, leadership and politics.
To put up Professional Associations in the whole Diocese.
To promote higher standards of their professions.
To celebrate the professionals’ day every year.
Encourage parents to educate their children and to encourage the children to work hard on their studies.
To encourage professionals who are outside the Diocese to participate in building and developing our Diocese.
To widen the scope of the so called professionals to enable the committee have professionals of different categories.
To show professionals what is expected of them, what they achieve when they come together and to enable them market their professionalism to the public.

Family Apostolate