On Tuesday, August 18, 2026 Rt. Rev. Lambert Bainomugisha, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Mbarara, confirmed 80 pupils at St. Helen’s Primary School. The event was attended by priests, religious men and women, Hon. Kalisa, MP for Ibanda, old girls, parents, and the school community.

Archbishop Lambert Bainomugisha confirms 80 pupils at St. Helens primary School at Nyamitanga Archdiocese of Mbarara.

Archbishop Bainomugisha first blessed the school hall before presiding over the Confirmation Mass where 80 pupils received the Sacrament of Confirmation. The ceremony coincided with St. Helen’s Primary School Feast Day and a celebration of academic and co-curricular achievements. St. Helen’s Primary School, a Catholic-founded school in Mbarara known for educating the girl child and visually impaired children under the guidance of the Sisters of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Mbarara.

Archbishop anointed  the pupils with the Holy oils and prayed for them for the seven gifts of the Spirit and after commissioned them as apostles of Christ. The Archbishop said after the anointing with holy oils, sends the newly confirmed to “preach the good news wherever they will be, in their own way. During his homily, Archbishop Bainomugisha urged them to evangelize through their daily lives, words, and actions, reflecting the fruits of the Holy Spirit they have received. In Galatians 5: people will know you by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. “That is how the world will know you belong to Jesus Christ,” he said.

The school choir St. Helens primary school animating confirmation Mass at the school.

His Grace Lambert Bainomugisha with the Head teacher Sr. Macklean Ayebare and the management committee of St. Helens Primary School after the confirmation of their pupils the school.

The Sacrament of Confirmation marks a turning point for the 80 pupils. They are now called to be active witnesses of their catholic faith at home, at school, and in society. The Archbishop told them that “even young children can evangelize old people,” encouraging them to live by practicing Catholic values learned at St. Helen’s. The confirmation strengthens their role as moral leaders among peers, with the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a “spiritual tool” for making right choices, standing against peer pressure, and serving others. For pupils with visual impairment, the sacrament affirms their equal dignity and mission in the catholic Church. School Legacy and Celebration Founded in 1928, St. Helen’s Primary School has grown on strong moral and Christian values. The Sisters of Our Lady of Good Counsel continue to lead in educating the girl child and vulnerable children with visual impairment. In celebrating their Feast Day, they celebrate and  honor the school’s academic excellence and co-curricular success, drawing many old girls back to their roots St. Helens. Voices from the Celebration Sharing a personal story, Archbishop Bainomugisha recalled being in Primary Six in 1976 when he wrote his father a letter in a “special language” only they understood, asking for an application to join seminary. He used the story to show how children can take initiative in faith. 

His Grace Lambert Bainomugisha with the old girls and old boys of St. Helens primary school at the school at Nyamitanga. Hon. Kalisa, MP for Ibanda and an old girl, thanked the Catholic Church and the Sisters for instilling values that shaped her. She recounted how her father rode her from Ibanda each term and how she learned discipline despite rarely being visited. She urged current pupils to “be disciplined and concentrate on their education first.”The headteacher thanked Archbishop Bainomugisha, clergy, PTA, staff, and parents for supporting the pupils’ faith and education.