ABOUT US
ABOUT ASSOCIATION OF RELIGIOUS IN UGANGA (ARU)
The Association of Religious in Uganda (ARU) is an umbrella body for all Catholic religious orders (men and women) in Uganda, working to support their missions, foster collaboration, provide training (like computer skills, management), represent their interests to authorities, and help them serve the Church and nation better by sharing resources and avoiding duplication. It acts as a forum for superiors to address common issues, offers capacity building through programs like SLDI and ASEC, and promotes unity and shared goals among its 100+ member institutes.
Key Functions & Activities
- Support & Empowerment: Helps individual institutes live out their unique charisms (missions) within the larger Church mission.
- Collaboration: Creates a platform for superiors to share needs, build relationships, and work together, reducing competition.
- Capacity Building: Organizes training in management, finance, project management, computer skills, and agriculture through partnerships like the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC).
- Advocacy: Represents the interests of religious institutes before government and church authorities.
- Coordination: Serves as a central body for decision-making and policy for religious life in Uganda, led by the Assembly of Major Superiors of Religoius Institutes in Uganda. (AMSRIU)
- Formation: Manages programs like the Formation Ministry for Religious in Uganda (FoMRU) to support ongoing development.
MOTTO:
“NO LONGER STRANGERS BUT FRIENDS” (Jhn 15:15)
CORE VALUES
Its imposiible to run an institute without possible core values. The following are our core values that we treasure at ARU
- Accountability
- Compassion
- Team work
- Solicitude
Mission
To strengthen member Institutes to live Their Unique Charisms with the Church's Evangelizing Mission through Social-Pastoral and Integral Human Development Initiative in Society
Vision
To be a Dynamic Prophetic Body of Consecreted Persons for the Transformation of Member Institutes and Society through Gospel Values
Meet The Admin Team ARU
FROM 1963 – TO DATE:
The Beginning
The Association of Religious in Uganda, generally known as ARU, has a long history which dates back to its foundation in 1968. It was founded initially as a body of women religious working in Uganda by the women Major Superiors, led Mother Mary Bernadine, LSOSF (R.I.P.). <br>The founding of this body was a response to a directive by Pope Paul VI that Religious Institutes in their various countries throughout the world would form a forum from which they would address issues of common interest concerning their consecrated life. This requirement was born out of the decisions that had been made in the Second Vatican Council. The Religious men’s Institutes in Uganda also formed their own Association known then as the Conference of Men Superiors of Religious Institutes in Uganda (COMSRIU).
In 1995 the two Associations of men and women Religious saw it necessary to form one Association and got the approval of the Holy See. Out of the merger an Association of Religious in Uganda, ARU, was born with a Mission “to collaborate, support and empower each Institute to live its unique Charism within the Mission of the Church today.” Hence ARU remained the overall Association that embodies all the Religious men and women in Uganda; ARU therefore provides leadership and is the decision and policy-making body. It is the members of ARU who decide on the best steps to take in addressing issues affecting the Association. Such decisions do not in anyway, override the autonomous nature of each Institute.
There are 116 registered member institutes with over 8000 members Dual membership 36 men institutes, 80 women institutes
ARU has always operated out of values that are based on the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Empowered by this Gospel message the ARU operate out of a shared Vision, Mission, Motto and specific values.
Our Services
ARU supports formation programs, capacity building skills and counseling
USFCN
Uganda Spiritual Formation Centre Namugongo (USFCN) is a serene environment which brings God's awareness and unconditional love to participants who are on retreats and courses.
CADEP
This is a Congregational Agricultural Development Project (CADeP) is a program coordinated by ARU, aiming at helping the Institutes to imrove on agricultural productivity for sustainability.
