The pioneer White Fathers were affiliated to the Catholic Missionary Society of White Fathers which is also known as Religious Institute of the Missionaries of Africa. They arrived in Algiers in February 1874. They started their journey to Equatorial Africa (victoria Nyanza region) on 15 November 1878. They spent 10 months on their journey in which 2 months were spent in a boat from Algiers to Bagamoyo and the other 8 months on foot from Bagamoyo to Kigungu.

Arrival and journey of the Missionaries of Africa in Uganda In the search of the source of River Nile in the "Dark continent of Africa", Henry Morton Stanley arrived at Kabaka Muteesa I of Buganda who gave him letter in 1875 inviting the missionaries to come and educate his people. Muteesa I's letter was published in the British Times newspaper in London and missionaries came.

After the arrival of the first Christian missionaries that were sent by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) of England were British ex-service men, Lt. Shergold Smith and Rev. C.T Wilson on 30 June 1877.

The Catholic missionary society of White Fathers also known as Religious Institute of the Missionaries of Africa sent a group of ten missionaries to go to Equatorial Africa under the leadership of Léon Livinhac. They arrived in Zanzibar on 30 May 1878. The missionaries included Pere Siméon Lourdel Marpel (often misspelt as Simon Laurdel Mapeera) who was also aka Mapeera, Brother Delmas Amans (aka Amansi), Léone Livinhac, Ludovic Girault and Léon Barbot. On 15 November 1878, they started their journey to the Victoria Nyanza region.

The first two the catholic missionaries from the Society of Missionaries of Africa to arrive in Uganda were Pere Siméon Lourdel Marpel (aka Mapeera) and brother Delmas Amans (aka Amansi).

Charles Lavigerie wrote letters that were meant to stop Fr. Mapeera and brother Amansi from continuing to Uganda after he had gotten information about the murder of two Anglican missionaries on the Ukerewe island. But the letter reached Fr. Mapeera and brother Amansi in late September 1879 when they had already arrived in Buganda. Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi arrived in Buganda on Lake Victoria on 30 December 1878.

On 20 January 1879, Fr. Mapeera and Bro. Amansi started their lake journey after buying a boat (canoe) and also hiring five guards and 8 eight Oarsmen. They wanted to go and discuss with Kabaka Muteesa I before the rest of the fathers could join them. They set off at Kageye on the shores of Lake Victoria and they kept closer to the shoreline so that they could buy food when there was a need for it and also to be able to sleep in their tents at night.

On 15 February 1879, Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi arrived at Bugoma on Ssese Islands in Entebbe. They made a stop over at Bugoma Mapeera pilgrimage site also known as Bugoma Catholic site which is located in Bumangi catholic parish before heading for Kigungu landing site.

On 17 February 1879, Mapeera and Amansi arrived at Kigungu landing site in Entebbe Municipality where a monument that was constructed by the Missionaries of Africa to honor their memory and works was installed.

On 19 February 1879, they wanted to continue up to Mutungo near the palace of Kabaka Muteesa I but their boat was in bad shape and it later wrecked near Kaweta landing site at Bugonga in Entebbe.

After a month of their arrival (Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi), they erected a tent which served as a catholic church in Uganda at Nabulagala near Kasubi.

Meeting the Kabaka On 21 February 1879, the late Amir Sekikkubo a Ugandan Muslim welcomed and hosted Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi into his home in Kitebi. He promised to take them to Kabaka Muteesa I's palace the following day to Rubaga. On 22 February 1879, Sekikkubo took them to the palace but he was beaten by the Kabaka's guards (aka Abambowa) as they suspected that he had come to attack the Kabaka until the Katikkiro Kayiira saved him after him explaining why the visitors (Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi) had come to meet the Kabaka.

Sekikkubo informed the Kabaka Muteesa I's about the visitors and the Kabaka instructed him to keep the visitors for 15 days until the Lukiiko decided their fate. Sekikkubo constructed for them a hut for Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi until they met Kabaka Muteesa I who offered Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi land of about two miles in Nabulagala on which they constructed a catholic church in Kitebe Village in Rubaga Division. When Fr. Simeon Lourdel met Kabaka Muteesa I in March 1879, he was given a name "Mapeera" which means Guava after hearing the French words "Mon Pere" which means "my father". Kabaka Muteesa I also named Fr. Mapeera "Mwana w'embuga" which is translated as "Son of the palace". Kabaka Muteesa I gave Rubaga hill to the catholic church of Uganda to be her headquarters and he moved his palace from Rubaga to Kasubi where he was laid to rest after his death on 10 October 1884. The altar of the Rubaga Cathedral was built in the place were Muteesa I's palace was located. After the meeting with Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi, the kabaka promised to send canoes to bring the rest of the White Fathers to Buganda. On 11 April 1879, the Kabaka Muteesa I gave Brother Amansi a fleet of 24 canoes to go and fetch the other missionaries who included: Léon Livinhac, Ludovic Girault and Léon Barbot.

Charles Lavigerie ordered the Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi to set up a mission station twenty-five kilometres from the Protestants.

Kabaka Muteesa I's request for baptism was denied by Fr. Mapeera because of the Kabaka was Polygamous man, a decision that was rebuked by Charles Lavigere who mentioned that the Kabaka should have been admitted by the catechumen regardless of his marital status.

Kabaka Muteesa I did not want Luganda to be taught to the Missionaries but Fr. Mapeera was already writing a Luganda dictionary. He also wrote a catholic catechism and also Sunday gospel readings in Luganda.

Treating the dysentry of Kabaka Muteesa I At the end of 1879, Kabaka Muteesa I was in favour of the traditional religion that tried to treat him of his dysentry but they did not succeed in curing him. But in May 1880, it was the assistance that Fr. Mapeera provided to Kabaka Muteesa I that cured him of his dysentry.

Freeing of slaves After three months at Nabulagala, Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi negotiated, bought out the slaves from the Arab slave traders and redeemed them. They managed to save 28 children whom they called orphans. Those kids were kept in an orphanage in 1881.

In 1882, the white fathers had managed to free slaves most of which were not Baganda but they later discovered that some of the kids in the orphanage were practicing homosexuality. But the numbers of children kept on increasing every week but the white fathers were being limited by the resources to support.

First Ugandan catholic mass celebration The first ever catholic mass of the Latin rite mass was not celebrated in January because Fr. Mapeera and Brother Amansi had left the portable altar and books/articles that are used to celebrate a catholic mass in Kageye Village in Tanzania with a group of other missionaries. But those items were later brought by Msgr. Léon Livinhac, Pere Ludovic Girault and Léone Barbot on 24 June 1879 and celebrated mass on 25 June 1879 with Msgr. Léon Livinhac as the main celebrant at the Mapeera-Nabulagala Catholic Mission Station in Rubaga Division.

Baptism of the first Ugandan Catholic converts On the Easter Vigil of 28 March 1880, the first baptism of the Uganda Catholic converts was celebrated. Among those who were first baptised by Msgr. Léon Livinhac in Uganda included Paul Nalubandwa (aka Paolo Nlubanwa), Peter Kyonooneka Ddamulira (aka Petro Ddamulira), Joseph Lwanga (aka as Yosefu Lwanga) and Leon Kaddu. They also received their first holy communion and confirmation the next day. It was also the first Easter celebration (mass) in which the locals participated and the catholic mass was held in the night so that the attendees could not be noticed and be persecuted by Kabaka Muteesa I of Buganda who was also known as Mukaabya.

Fr. Mapeera baptised Andrew Kaggwa and Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe on 30 April 1882. Fr. Ludovic Girault baptised Mathias Mulumba and Lukka Baanabakintu on 28 May 1882. Local chiefs who include; Luka Banabakinti and Matia Kalemba were also baptised.

The coming of the Mill Hill Missionaries After Kabaka Mwanga realising that there was no catholism in England as the Church Missionary Society were from England while the White fathers came from France. The White fathers contacted the Mill Hill Mission in England to send in the British Catholic Fathers to remove Kabaka Mwanga's doubts. In 1895, Bishop Henry Hanlon from the Mill Hill Mission arrived in Uganda and he was given Nsambya Hill by Kabaka Mwanga. The Mill Hill missionaries spread Christianity in the Tooro region. Bishop Henry Hanlon did not only manage to convert Mugwanya from being a Moslem to being catholic but also made him the head of Catholics in Buganda. On Mugwanya's request, Bishop Hanlon built Namilyango College in 1902 that educated catholic princes from Buganda, Bunyoro, Tooro, Ankole, Busoga including Prince Joseph Musanje who painted the portrait of Kabaka Muteesa I. Hill Mill Fathers also built Tororo college in Eastern Uganda for the people of Bukedi, Bagisu and Teso.

Sister Mary Kevin Sister Mary Kevin aka (Mother Kevina, Mama Kevina) was a Hill Mill missionary who arrived on 15 January 1903. She encouraged many Ugandan women to get baptised. She founded the Little sisters of St. Francis Nkokonjeru in Kyagwe in Mukono District in 1923. Mama Kevina built Nsambya Hospital, Stella Marris Nsube girls school, Nagalama Catholic Mission and hospital.

Creation of more Vicariates In 1894, the Victoria Vicariate that consisted of (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Zaire) was split into three by Pope Leo XIII;

North Nyanza Vicariate (but it was renamed to Uganda Vicariate in 1915) and it was managed by the White Fathers. In 1910, Northern Uganda was being managed by the Comboni Missionaries. In 1934, the Rwenzori Vicariate that consisted of districts in western Uganda was created from the Uganda Vicariate. In 1993 Mbarara was made a province, comprising Kabale, Fort portal, Kasese, Hoima dioceses. In 1939, the Masaka Vicariate was created from the Uganda Vicariate. On 25 March 1953, all the Vicariate became dioceses. And also the Rubaga Archdiocese that consisted of the (Gulu, Masaka, Kampala, Mbarara and Tororo) dioceses was created. In 1958, the Holy Cross Fathers started spreading Christianity in western Uganda. Upper Nile Vicariate that was managed by the Mill Hill Missionaries. South Nyanza Vicariate

Catholic church of Uganda after the White Fathers

Electing of the leader of christians

Due to persecutions between 1882 and 1888, the missionaries held a secret ballot election on whether they should abandon the Buganda mission station or stay, most them of they voted to leave. On 8 November 1882, the missionaries left Uganda for Tanzania by sailing to the southern shore of Lake Victoria Nyanza and left behind 20 baptised Christians and more than 300 catechumens.

The few baptised Catholics and catechumens met and discussed on how to run the church after the white fathers left Uganda. During the first Synod, Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe was elected as the leader of Christians in November 1882.

The return of the White Fathers Fr. Mapeera and other missions spent three years out of Uganda and this forced the orphans to split into two groups where one of the groups formed the orphanage and mission of Kamoga in Bukumbi (near Mwaza Town in Tanzania). The second group moved to an orphanage that was in existence in Kipalapala near Tabola.