Apostles of Jesus: Spreading Faith and Education

Jean Johnson, a parishioner in Ipswich, reflects on a transformative journey that began with a conversation in 2004 at the Birmingham Oratory. 

In the summer of 2004, during a meeting of Aid to the Church in Need at the Birmingham Oratory, I had a conversation that would shape the next two decades of my life. An African priest, Fr. Jimmy Lutwama, shared his vision of the Apostles of Jesus (AJ), a missionary congregation he belonged to and is still involved in as Regional Superior for Europe. As I neared retirement, I expressed a desire to do something meaningful in Africa. Little did I know, this conversation would lead me to Uganda that November for an exploratory visit.

While in Uganda, the government announced a new policy mandating that all students take the three core sciences – biology, chemistry, and physics – at O-level. Previously, many students had studied only biology. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, I saw an opportunity to make a difference. Working with the AJ, I secured funding for teacher training courses, initially at the AJ school in Bukinda, near the border with Rwanda. Partnering with the Institute of Physics, we developed a week-long residential course in both chemistry and physics. Bukinda became our main training centre, and I began spending about ten weeks each year in Uganda.

As our efforts grew, we opened another training centre at the AJ school in Moroto, Northern Uganda, near their mother house. Over time, I also visited their major seminary in Nairobi and, to my surprise and delight, began to be affectionately called a “Lady Apostle.”

You may not have heard of the AJ before. This missionary congregation was founded in response to a crisis in the mid-1960s, when missionaries in Sudan were expelled almost overnight. Concerned about the potential expulsion of European missionaries from East Africa, two Comboni Fathers (then known as Verona Fathers) established the AJ in August 1968. Their mission was to form African missionaries for Africa and the world.

Today, the AJ have nearly 500 members, serving in East Africa and beyond. They operate schools across the region, inspiring countless boys to pursue the priesthood. Their mission has expanded globally, with Apostles now serving in the United States, Australia, Cuba, Papua New Guinea, Germany, and even here in the UK. In the Birmingham Archdiocese, they are active in parishes in Coventry and Nuneaton, and in Wales, where an Apostle serves as Cathedral Dean in Wrexham Diocese.

This January, I had the privilege of celebrating two significant milestones: 20 years of working with the AJ and my 80th birthday. Joining me for this joyous occasion were Fr. Sunday and Fr. Aloysius, two of the priests I worked closely with in Uganda, both now based in Coventry. The day was made even more special as it coincided with Fr. Joseph’s birthday. Together, we celebrated a beautiful Mass at St. Pancras, followed by a joyful gathering.

Looking back, I feel immense gratitude for the many blessings this journey has brought. One of the most moving moments has been seeing Fr. Mugabe Robert, who as a boy was in the first class I taught at Bukinda, now applying for a UK visa to join the Apostles’ mission here. This year, 32 young men will be ordained as AJ priests, and I pray that some will be sent to serve in the UK, bringing their faith and energy to our parishes.

As St. John Henry Newman once said, “God knows what He is about.” I trust in His providence, knowing that the AJ will continue their vital work of spreading the Gospel and building communities of faith wherever they are sent.

Find out more about the AJ here. 

Jean is an extraordinary minister and reader at both St Pancras and St Mary’s in Ipswich, where she was received into the church 47 years ago. After living in Upminster and Birmingham, she returned to Ipswich 7 years ago to care for a friend, stayed through the Covid pandemic, and decided to remain.

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