Emmaus Centre Katikamu was founded in 1990 through the shared vision of Rev. Fr. Ernest Sievers, MAfr. and Mr. Joseph Aonu Okiror, whose passion for evangelization and discipleship was ignited through missionary formation and evangelization training in Rome. What began as a response to a spiritual need soon became a living mission dedicated to renewing faith and forming committed Christian leaders.
The founding vision emerged from two pressing realities of the time. First was the urgent need to provide deep and ongoing formation for lay Catholics, enabling them to understand, live, and confidently share their faith within society. Second was the growing HIV/AIDS crisis of the early 1990s, which called for not only medical awareness but also compassionate pastoral care, moral guidance, and spiritual healing for individuals and families affected by the epidemic.
Moved by these needs and guided by the Holy Spirit, the founders envisioned a centre where faith formation, evangelization, and human transformation would meet. With the approval and apostolic blessing of Church authorities, Emmaus Centre officially opened and was blessed on 30th November 1991, marking the beginning of a mission that continues to impact lives across generations.
From its humble beginnings as a school of discipleship and evangelization, Emmaus Centre Katikamu has grown into a recognized formation hub serving the Church in Uganda and across Africa. Over the years, the Centre has welcomed priests, religious men and women, seminarians, and especially lay faithful seeking renewal, formation, and deeper communion with Christ.
Hundreds of pastoral agents have been trained through long-term formation programmes, while thousands more have participated in retreats, seminars, leadership trainings, marriage and family programs, youth outreach initiatives, and spiritual renewal gatherings. Many graduates now serve as catechists, teachers, evangelizers, community leaders, and missionaries, bringing Gospel values into parishes, families, workplaces, and communities across the continent.
Today, Emmaus Centre Katikamu stands as a vibrant Catholic Charismatic Renewal centre for discipleship and evangelization. Guided under the pastoral care of the Local Ordinary of Kasana-Luweero Diocese and the trusteeship of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, the Centre continues to respond to the Church’s call for a New Evangelization.
Through formation programmes, community life, education, and outreach ministries, Emmaus remains committed to forming missionary disciples who live with a burning love for Christ and serve society with faith, compassion, and hope.
What began as a small seed of faith has grown into a living community — a place where hearts encounter Christ, lives are renewed, and disciples are sent forth to transform the world.
