(2024) This past spring I received a communication from Fr. Emmanuel Katabaazi. He spoke to me of a priest from his Diocese of Masaka that was due to finish a Master of Divinity Professional degree from the Boston University School of Theology. When international students complete their graduate degrees they are often permitted to remain in the country an additional year to work within their field of study while on their F-1, educational visa.
I brought this news forward to the director of our clergy personnel and he to our Bishop. With the approval of our Bishop we made plans for Fr. Paul Mukasa to join us and begin work among us in Buffalo. Many of his bags arrived first, carried by friends who were traveling to the area. Finally he arrived at the Buffalo airport and I welcomed him into my residence.
We spent the next few days giving him a guided tour of Buffalo, from Buffalo wings at Anchor Bar, to visits to Niagara Falls and Buffalo's own waterfront. After a brief time of visiting Fr. Paul had to return to Uganda to renew his student visa in order to continue with us for his "in-service" year. While he was away we managed to secure Fidele's older Nissan Pathfinder for him to own and drive while in the Buffalo Diocese. The vehicle had little trade in value being that that was seventeen years old and logging over 253,000 miles. We had to invest a fair amount of funds to enable it to pass inspection and we pray that it serve Fr. Paul well in his new assignment with Family #28 serving: St. John the Baptist in Boston, NY, Nativity of Our Lord, and St. Bernadette, Orchard Park, and SS. Peter & Paul in Hamburg. May the Lord grant Fr. Paul a fine experience of support and ministry among us in the Diocese of Buffalo. This vehicle should help you through out upcoming winter.
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