In the summer of 2019, Fr. Joseph led a group of 10 Ave Maria University students on a mission trip to Uganda. During their stay, the missionaries from Ave Maria resided with the Missionaries of Charity in Kampala. Prior to their trip, the generous people of Ave Maria town donated clothes and school supplies intended for approximately 100 children in Fr. Joseph's village. However, when the day arrived, the mission team was astounded when over 400 children showed up.
‍
The gathering took place at the village church, a place of personal significance for Fr. Joseph, as it was where he attended the first three grades of elementary school. This school, unfortunately, only consisted of two classrooms, each accommodating over 80 students, and other classes were conducted outdoors under a tree. Whenever it rained, the students were left without a proper learning environment. In response to the urgent needs of the community, the Diocese of Masaka made the decision to build a school and orphanage. I was assigned the responsibility of coordinating fundraising efforts for this essential project.
‍
Upon Fr. Joseph's return to Ave Maria, he shared his moving story with a small group of people. On October 7, 2019, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, this group gathered to learn about Masaka and the mission trip. Inspired by the cause, they initiated a fundraiser to construct a 5-classroom building and a pit latrine. A total of $50,000 was sent to Uganda on January 2, 2020, marking the beginning of the construction process. By November 2020, the 5-classroom building was completed, allowing 548 students to commence their studies in the new facility in January 2021.