UCO Christmas Message 2025 – President Ocatre Slivers

Digital Pilgrims: A Christmas Gift to Ugandans

Dear brothers and sisters of the Ugandan Catholics Online and the vibrant youth of our nation, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we look back with immense gratitude on a year where our digital community truly became a “culture of encounter.” Following the call of Pope Francis to use social media as a gift of self rather than a tool of vanity, we have witnessed the Holy Spirit move through our screens and into our streets. From the joyous Pamoja Twin Wedding at Lubaga Cathedral to the global reach of our Martyrs Day streaming, you have proven that the internet is a mission field. Our collective Daily Mass streams have brought the Eucharist to the homebound, while our physical outreach to orphanage centers turned digital mobilization into tangible mercy, proving that the faith of Ugandan youth is both tech-savvy and deeply compassionate.

This year has been a profound Year of Pilgrimage, a spiritual journey that has prepared our hearts for the specific challenges we face today. As we navigate the current election period in Uganda, we must carry the peace of Bethlehem into our political discourse, choosing harmony over hostility and unity over division. Our pilgrimage does not end at the shrine; it continues in how we treat our neighbors during this time of civic transition. We pray that the coming year brings a spirit of peaceful coexistence, where every Ugandan regardless of tribe or political affiliation can live in the dignity that Christ’s birth restored to all humanity.

As we step into the New Year, let us remain united in prayer and the Breaking of Bread through our shared liturgical celebrations. We invite you to join our Christmas programs, featuring English and Luganda Mass from Lubaga Cathedral and the Lugbara Mass from Christ the King Parish, Arua, ensuring that the Word of God resonates in our mother tongues and reaches every corner of the land. May the Virgin Mary guide you, and may the Light of Christ shine through your digital footprints and your daily lives.

Merry Christmas and a grace-filled, peaceful 2026 to you all!

Ocatre Slivers
President
Ugandan Catholics Online