IBANDA – Rev Fr. Barth Kamugyene one of the long-serving catholic priests and well praised for his passion for environment went to meet his creator on Monday night.
Fr. Kamugyene 98 has been staying at Kagongo rest house in Ibanda before died last night at around 9 pm. People who know him very well say his love for environment and Catholic Church is undisputed.
Emmanuel Asiimwe a former catechist in the Catholic Church said Fr. Kamugyene eulogized him and described Fr. Kamugyene as one of the oldest priest in the Archdiocese of Mbarara.
“We was concerned about the good and wellbeing of his people, he had much love for environment when you go to Kitabi, he left a big forest and Mabona parish and has been one of the oldest priest in the Archdiocese of Mbarara.” Said Asiimwe.
Who was he?
He was born in 1921in the family of late Teofilo Rwishaija in Ihanika Rubingo parish Kashari Mbarara district. Later he enrolled in school in 1936 at Kitengure Primary school before joining Butare in 1937. He completed his P.7 from Ibanda in 1939. Later, he joined Kitabi seminary, went to Katigondo seminary in Masaka and was ordained apriest around early 1960s.
Pope Paul IV named him the Ecclesiastical assistant. He served as a priest and a teacher in many parishes in the Mbarara Archdiocese, these include; Rugazi, Rwera, Butare, Mabona, Kitabi, Rubanda and Kabale among others.
