(2020) Back in 2012, a group of four Western New Yorkers traveled to the Diocese of Masaka, Uganda,, in order to witness the blessing and dedication of the Masaka Medical Services building that ROTA had the pleasure of sponsoring along with our partners within the Diocese of Masaka. The Medical Services Store is in partnership with JMS: Joint Medical Service non-for-profit, located in the capital city of Kampala, which supplies new and used medical equipment, medicines and medical supplies. After four years of successful operations in the state-of-the-art office/warehouse building, it had become too small for the incredible need for medical equipment, medicines and supplies. With the need presented, ROTA and Masaka Diocese launched a Phase II expansion project. For three years ROTA provided transportation, room and board for our partner, Fr. Emmanuel Katabaazi. He was our main missionary who preached in parishes here in Buffalo and the Diocese of Albany in order to support the Phase II project of the Medical Supply Store.
In January, 2020, a group of four from Buffalo had the pleasure of traveling to Masaka, Uganda, to celebrate the Blessing of the Phase II Expansion completion. Pictured above is the new office section addition. To its right is the new, larger and taller warehouse addition adjoining the former warehouse. When we arrived we were given a tour of the new facility. To our surprise the facility was already in use with boxes of new equipment and supplies lining the large warehouse shelves.
Soon the day arrived to gather and celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a ribbon cutting and building blessing along with the newly retired Bishop of Masaka, John Baptist Kaggwa and his successor, the Most Rev. Serverus Jjumba.
Our hearts were filled with Thanksgiving for all the people of the Diocese of Buffalo and Albany who helped to bring this project to a successful completion. No celebration in Uganda is complete without the addition of food, photos, and of course dancing. Our efforts go so very far in mission countries like Uganda. Thank you, one and all, for your continued support of ROTA and all our various projects. Without you, the miracles could not happen.
