Monterey Park pastor’s Africa sabbatical becomes a lifesaving mission
Since he became a priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles 27 years ago, Father John Kyebasuuta marvels at what has changed — and what remains the same — every time he makes his annual trip to the Ugandan village where he grew up.
On one trip to his hometown on Buvuma Island in Africa’s famous Lake Victoria 10 years ago, Kyebasuuta was struck by the sight of a small boy struggling with a heavy container of water that he drew from a borehole miles away to help his family.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh my, that was me 40 years ago,’ ” said Kyebasuuta, the pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Monterey Park since 2013. “The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if I could make a difference. Water affects everyone.”