It was in the 1800s when Christian missionaries first got access to the inland part of East Africa, central Uganda in particular. In the Ugandan Society, hills were considered sacred places for spiritual being and it was for this reason that most of the religions that were given land, it was on the hills which often seemed to be isolated places because of the spiritual realities that often manifested in those areas. These places were often accessed by people but in habitable.

The cathedral stands on one of the original seven hills that make up Kampala city. Like the Namugongo catholic shrine, Rubaga cathedral is enshrined in the stained glass windows with memorials of the 22 Uganda martyrs. These martyrs are among the other Ugandan Christians that were burnt to death on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II in 1885 and 1886 after refusing to renounce the white man’s religion.

However, the death of the martyrs only sparked the growth of the Catholic Church like a wild fire. Today the Catholic Church has the majority population in terms of religion in Uganda.

It is at this same cathedral that remains of the first African catholic Bishop and the first Archbishop of Kampala Diocese Joseph Kiwanuka are found. The cathedral holds a Luganda masses at 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM while English masses are at 8:00 AM. The general masses are often held at 10:00am and 5:00pm. Services at the cathedral are often led by the archbishop of Kampala diocese.

The place is open to tourists both local and international at free charge. It is accessible between 9:00 am and 5:30 pm. Besides the colorful painting mosaics that depict a mixture of both African and European influence united in their faith, it is a wonderful place to get access to the history of the Catholic Church in Uganda. The social and economic endeavors that the church is part and partial, the future plans and goals of the Catholic Church.

Uganda being the only country in Africa that has had the pope visit three times, there is a lot to share about these visits, how Catholics in Uganda perceive the pope, how his visits have been influential in shaping the catholic church in Uganda.

The cathedral has conducted several weddings some of which were for celebrities ranging from politicians, musicians, and lay people. One of the top wedding that was conducted at the cathedral was Honorable Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu also known as Bobi Wine which was aired live on different television stations all over the country.

The Catholic Church being the dominant church in Uganda, has conducted several masses for the fallen celebrities such as Moze Radio, Ivan Ssemwanga among others