We are Nancy and Paul Berrigan, founders of John Paul Secondary School in Uganda, Africa. Our journey began on a warm Sunday morning in July 2005 when our lives were changed . . . FOREVER!

We lived in Farmington Hills, Michigan and had been members of St. Fabian Catholic Church for 19 years. Paul and I attended Sunday Mass that day but had no idea that it was “Mission Appeal Sunday.” A Diocesan Priest from Uganda Africa, Msgr. John Kauta, came to speak about the great need of the poor in his home country of Uganda, East Africa. Msgr. Kauta was dynamic, personable and immediately captured our attention and our hearts. We were moved by the stories he shared about how little these people have and how little it would take for us to make a difference in their lives. We felt drawn to him and his Ugandan people and knew we had to learn more about his missionary work.

Find out more about Nancy’s “Pagan Baby” story – the impetus for JPSS. Click PLAY on the video below:

After Mass, we introduced ourselves and expressed a desire to help in a more significant way than just a donation. In his talk, Msgr. Kauta had emphasized how far an American dollar can be stretched in Uganda; a handout he provided, which listed the cost of services in Uganda, emphasized this point. Based on that handout we thought we might be able to build a school for the children of Uganda. Msgr. Kauta was so excited he grabbed my husband and gave him a big bear hug! That was the start of our wonderful journey.

It took many phone calls, e-mails, faxes and FedEx packages back and forth to work through all the details, but finally in March, 2006, construction started on the school. The school was originally planned for primary aged children but, through an incredible series of circumstances, it became a secondary school. The Museveni government had recently mandated primary education for all children. Since the Catholic Church had determined to build our school in the village of Chelekura, the Archbishop of Tororo asked government officials to consider building a primary school in Chelekura and, in exchange, he would convert our school to a secondary school. They agreed and suddenly Chelekura, which had no school, would get both a primary and a secondary school.

John Paul Secondary School (named in honor of our fathers) opened in February 2007 with 14 students. We were fortunate to travel to Uganda in March 2007 to attend its dedication and blessing. On that extremely hot day there had to be about 800 people, adults and children, waiting to greet us and thank us for building the school. It was the first time many had ever seen a white person (Mzungu)!

The Archbishop celebrated Mass and dedicated the school. Whenever he preaches, an integral part of his message is: “the people of Uganda are not an entitled people.” He instructs them that they must “give back”, either through their time, talents or treasures . . . and they did! After Mass, they processed up to the altar and gave according to their ability — eggs, grain, honey, bunches of bananas, pineapple, live chickens, turkeys, doves, small coins and even a sheep. It was truly a humbling experience for us!

This has been an incredible journey, one we didn’t plan but the most fulfilling experience of our lives. We have met so many wonderful people and our lives continue to be blessed in more ways than we ever imagined. We never thought we could actually build a school; and building a web site was the furthest thing from our mind. But, when God speaks, you must listen! We’ve learned that it is always good to “give back” and even the smallest gift can make a big difference.

Update!

We now live in Auburn Hills, Michigan and are members of St. Irenaeus Catholic Church. John Paul Secondary School celebrated ten years of success in 2017.