Uganda Spiritual Formation Centre – Namugongo (USFCN) was started in 1988 by the Association of Religious in Uganda.

USFC has for the last 31 years, has provided a sacred space for Men and Women Religious and Priests who wish to renew and further their growth in spirit, mind and body. The Centre also trains and empowers persons called to work in Religious formation Houses. They in turn are sent as spiritual leaders, counselors, and formators to help and strengthen all God’s people whom they serve in parishes, Institutions and communities.

Vision:

Personal and Communal Commitment in Discipleship to the person of Jesus Christ, the Humble, Obedient, Poor, and Chaste.

Mission:

To lead participants to an awareness of god’s unconditional love for them and for humanity through the agents and processes of transformation.

Objectives:

1. To offer new opportunities and provide a condusive environment for prayer and healing, and the acquisition of sound human and theological knowledge guided by the gospel values.
2. To awaken in the participants a sound biblical perception of the realities in the church, their own Institutes of consecrated life and in the contemporary world.
3. To engage participants in practical ways of reflection and critical analysis of contemporary issues for transformation or spiritual conversion and making correct choices to carry out the mission of Christ in the world through the Catholic Church.
4. To empower participants for authentic adaptability of the mission of their Institutes.
5. To help participants learn and develop skills of transformative organizational leadership for communities and New Evangelization of society.

Core values: Love, Obedience, Conversion, Integrity, Humility, contemplative Prayer, Team Spirit, Community and Respect.

MOTTO: “Zacchaeus come down”. Lk 19: 5-6

The primary purpose of the programme is to engage participants with an aspect of looking at who Jesus is and learning ways and means of becoming his true disciple through one’s life vocation. This programme too has courses on the transmission of the Good news of Jesus Christ to others near and far. Therefore, any consecrated person, either a priest or a religious living in a community of an Institute of consecrated Life and who desires to embrace the aim or purpose of the programme is most welcome to apply and attend.

One’s strong desire to grow spiritually, intellectually, psychologically or emotionally and socially will be a stepping stone to the person for embracing the programme wholeheartedly. He Centre intends to facilitate the participants’ growth regarded as responsible and committed adults who are willing to become instruments or agents of Spiritual Transformation in the church and the world. It is hoped that at the end of the course of participation and learning the participants will be renewed in spirit and service for the people they will be sent to after attending the programme. In so doing, they will bear fruit abundantly in the current society for the people of today.

The USFC facility is capable to facilitate the success of participants. We also believe that the success of individuals depends very much on their interior dispositions, hard work and character. We ask you to choose individuals who are ready and eager to attend the programme. It will be helpful and useful to the individuals and those who send them and to their diocese or institute to be persons of quality and capable in order to benefit from the programme, bearing in mind that USFC is not a Centre of treatment of major emotional and mental trouble of individuals. We must rely heavily on the judgement of people who know the applicant and who understand the grave responsibilities of representing the church and the Institute.

Uganda Spiritual Formation Centre-Namugongo (USFCN) was started in 1988 by the Association of Religious in Uganda. Since its inception, the vision of the Uganda Spiritual Formation Centre was to bring an awareness of God’s unconditional love for humanity. It has also provided sacred space for Women and Men Religious and Priests who desire to renew and further their growth in spirit, mind and body. Afterwards they have been sent as Spiritual leaders in helping and strengthening their sisters, brothers and all God’s people in similar growth.

The Centre continued conducting the Spiritual Renewal and Training of Spiritual Directors Programme until 2010 when the Formators’ Programme was added as a second programme.

The aim of this programme was to form and equip participants who would in turn be ready to form the young people desiring to join religious life using the acquired skills for effective ministry.

The course usually begins on 1^st October and ends on the last Sunday in June of the following year, after which a 30 days’ retreat follows.

At U.S.F.C, each individual’s interior journey prepares one for the mission to the world.

The Uganda Spiritual Formation Centre moved from Kisubi to Namugongo (Kira – Kito) in 2002. It is located 2 km from the Uganda Martyrs National Shrine.

The unique emphasis on personal awareness and growth are part of U.S.F.C programmes that appeal to people who seek further grounding (i.e. concretizing), renewal and formation in their ministry.

The programme prepares and challenges the individual to break the narrow view and embrace the wider human race. In a word, the programme aims at equipping the individual and those he/she will encounter hereafter.

U.S.F.C programmes help individuals:

• To foster re-dedication to life’s various invitations.
• To adopt a life-style which enables one to contribute creatively in a fast-changing world.
• To risk a different type of community life with other participants from various congregations and dioceses.
• To go out transformed and ready for mission at the end of the programme.
• To acquire new skills to train and form young trainers in their respective communities.
• To acquire new skills to form young men and women in Religious Formation Houses.
• To form participants who would, in turn, form others using the acquired skills for effective ministry.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:

The U.S.F.C approach to development includes several core components. These components focus on experiential learning rather than on traditional academic methods. USFC’s adult learning model deeply respects the individuality and life experience which each person brings to the programme.