The 90th anniversary launch of Christ the King choir presided over by Msgr Gerard Kalumba, parish priest of Christ the King Church at Kampala-Uganda.
KAMPALA
The choir at Christ the King (CTK) Catholic Church in Kampala-Uganda, which launched its 90th anniversary celebrations on May 20, is deeply interwoven with the history of the Goan Catholic Community in Uganda.
From its humble beginnings in the early 1900s, the church and its music ministry became a spiritual and cultural home for Goans who had settled in Kampala. The church itself was built in 1930 through the dedication, commitment, sacrifice and faith of the Goan community, working closely with the Mill Hill Missionaries.
THE INCEPTION
Music and liturgical singing quickly became central to worship at CTK Church. The early choir largely comprised Goan families whose strong musical tradition and knowledge of liturgical music greatly enriched the parish.
In 1936, the CTK Church launched its choir and soon became among the most revered and respected church choirs in Kampala. The director at the time of inception was S. Lobo, who was assisted by Remy de Silva as choirmaster. Besides the Goan community members, it had only four Ugandan members at the time.
Over the decades, it evolved into a multicultural choir, welcoming Ugandans whose love for music and singing further enhanced the choir. Distinguished musicians and conductors contributed significantly to the CTK Church choir, helping it gain recognition across the Archdiocese of Kampala. The CTK Church choir became known not only for its melodious singing and liturgical service but also for nurturing generations of church musicians and singers.
FULLY UGANDAN CHOIR
The expulsion of Asians from Uganda in 1972 deeply affected the Goan community and impacted the choir, as almost all Goan families had to leave the country.
Yet the spirit of the choir endured. The four Ugandan choir members, who shouldered all choir responsibility by carrying on with the music, melody and singing, formed a fully Ugandan choir at CTK Church circa end 1972.
The CTK Church choir is fully Ugandan, comprising over 70 members, with one active choir member still part of the journey for the past 51 years. The CTK Church now has several choirs – one for each Mass on a Sunday, choirs for special occasions and one main choir that represents the parish and Uganda at international choir competitions.
RETURN OF GOANS
Ugandans embraced Goans on their return to Uganda in the early 1990s and encouraged them to be active in CTK Parish activities. From the mid-90s onwards, the revival of Goan strong participation in church activities helped Goans rekindle treasured traditions that had once flourished at Christ the King Church.
The Goan community, under the guidance and encouragement of then parish priest and current Archbishop of Kampala His Grace Paul Ssemogerere and then under the guidance of the current Parish Priest Msgr Gerard Kalumba, revived the Goan community choir at CTK Church at the Sunday anticipatory Mass on the last Saturday of the month.
A file photo of the Goan choir at Christ the King Catholic Church in Kampala-Uganda.
The Goan community came together to animate the liturgy as well as sing with faith, joy, and dedication. Hymns in English and Konkani, accompanied by Goan singers and accompanists, brought warmth and devotion to the Mass. It was not merely about music but about preserving a heritage of faith and community spirit.
These monthly liturgical celebrations became moments of reunion and spiritual renewal for many Goan and non-Goan families in Uganda. They also strengthened the bond between the Goan community and the wider Ugandan parish community, reflecting inclusiveness and the cosmopolitan spirit that has always defined CTK Church.
Being a part of the choir allowed Goans living away from their homeland to relive and celebrate church feasts and village feast days and sing, praise and worship with hymns they had sung growing up in Goa and Bombay.
Goan parents raising children had an opportunity to learn hymns and participate in the Mass. Children of the Goan community started playing various instruments for the choir, including the keyboards, guitar and drums, enhancing the spirit of community worship.
In addition to contributing to the choir, the Goan community introduced the devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour every Wednesday and animated the Way of the Cross during the Lenten season. The Goan community also celebrated the annual feast of the ‘Goencho Saib’ St Francis Xavier, which included the famed Konkani hymn ‘Sam Fransisku Xaviera’.
ACCLAIMED CHOIR
Today, the choir at CTK Church is acclaimed as one of Kampala’s most admired church choirs, both nationally and internationally, carrying forward a rich tradition built on faith, sacrifice and selfless service.
The contribution of the Goan community from the founding of the church as a central point of faith and community by the Goan forefathers until the revival efforts 30 years ago remains an important and cherished chapter in the history of CTK Parish at Kampala.
At the recent launch of the 90th anniversary celebrations of the CTK Church choir on May 20, the current choir director announced at least ten activities that will benefit the parish and people beyond, thereby celebrating the choir’s legacy.
The 90th anniversary, focusing on nine decades of liturgical music and community activities, will culminate in a special Christmas carol service on December 13 at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel, Uganda. This finale will blend festive Christmas carols with commemorative hymns. More details are available on the website (ctkchurchchoirkla.org).
[With contributions from Savio Martins for GOA Uganda Chair Basilio Lobo (Kampala); Maria and Romano Fernandes (ex-Kampala/Mumbai) and Angelina Ramos (ex-Kampala/UK) for and on behalf of the Goan Community, Uganda.]
