Father Godfrey Muwanga, 50, comes from Lwamata-Kiboga, Uganda. He is the son of Eufrazia Nnambi and his father was the late Vanansi Ssebowa. His graduate work in theology was at St. Mbaaga Seminary, Ggaba, Uganda. He was ordained December 16, 1984.
    Father Muwanga was influenced by the life of the “White Fathers” (Missionaries of Africa). “They expressed their devotion through their dedication to daily morning prayers in houses and churches which had no electricity. They were using kerosene lamps and candles, travelling long distances, many times on foot and small motorcycles on dusty, potholed roads to spread the gospel. As a young person this left a great mark on my life and my future decision to become a priest,” he said.
    Reflecting on the gift of the priesthood Father Muwanga said, “Priesthood is a great gift from God. Many are called but few are chosen. Having been chosen there is a great need to appreciate this gift through one’s dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Being in the Diocese of Rapid City now, I understand that when a priest promises obedience to his bishop and all his successors, it is not a joke, but something to be lived throughout one’s entire priestly life. Nevertheless, I do believe that we are not alone in this apostolate, God empowers a priest with his grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
    In a turn of events, Father Muwanga was called to be a missionary in western South Dakota, “just like the ‘White Fathers,’ the first priests I got to know, those who baptized me, gave me holy Communion and taught me catechism.”
    Father Muwanga is the administrator of the parishes in Gregory County, including: St. Joseph Church, Gregory; Immaculate Conception Church, Bonesteel; Sacred Heart Church, Burke; and St. Anthony Church, Fairfax.

   Father Brian Lane, 48, is a native of Rapid City. His father is retired Deacon Thomas Lane and his mother was the late Patricia Lane. He has five siblings and has lost one sister. He is a graduate of Mt. St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He was ordained June 8, 1989.
   “I grew up attending the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, so I was influenced by every pastor and associate who was assigned there in my childhood. Father Chris Keeler, SJ, and Msgr. William O’Connell were two priests who made the discernment of my vocation a pleasant experience. Serving Mass gave me the opportunity to see the human side of the priests and the bishops as they prepared to celebrate. It made the vocation of priesthood real and approachable,” said Father Lane.
    He continued, “Everyone of my 20 years of priesthood contains wonderful memories of God’s surprises for me. Each assignment is filled with challenges and gifts, waiting to be unfolded. Some gifts are easier to unwrap than others. To serve others in their moments of joy and sorrow is a profound privilege.
   “When Bishop Charles Chaput, OFM, Cap., let me know that I was heading to Bison to be a pastor and build a church, I asked for permission to consult with the building committee before I moved. I was surprised and delighted to have the church plans hand delivered to me in the middle of that Saturday’s confessions at Blessed Sacrament. It was obvious they were excited to get going on the building project,” he said.
    Father Lane is the pastor of All Saints Church, Eagle Butte, and the mission parishes of St. Luke Church, Thunder Butte; Sacred Heart Church, Dupree; Sacred Heart Church, Red Scaffold; St. Joseph Church, Cherry Creek; Immaculate Conception Church, Bridger; St. Catherine Church, Promise; St. Therese Church, White Horse; and St. Joseph Church, Ridgeview.

   Father Timothy Castor, 48, hails from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He is the son of H. Edwin and Ethel Castor and he has two brothers and one sister. Like Father Lane, he attended Mt. Saint Mary Seminary. He was ordained June 8, 2001.
    Father Castor recalls Father Cyril Karam, OSB, who was his superior when he was a Benedic-tine monk. “He was a shining example of the priest as alter Christus (another Christ). When he celebrated Mass, the presence of Christ was truly palpable. Father Bernard Quinn was a priest of the Diocese of Harrisburg. As a deacon, I was assigned to his parish during my fourth year of seminary. He was a priest who truly loved his people, and I learned more from him about being a pastor than I did in five years of seminary classes!”
    Reflecting on the gift of the priesthood, Father Castor said, “Every Christian is called to ‘take up his cross and follow’ Christ. But the priest is called in a unique way to be united with Christ on his cross for the salvation of the world. On the cross, Jesus consummated his marriage with his bride, the church. Acting in the person of Christ, the priest shares this spousal relationship with the church and becomes, in a mystical way, a ‘husband’ and ‘father’ to all the faithful.”
    Discussing his life as a priest, Father Castor added, “I am continually in awe of how I, as a priest, become a channel of God’s grace to the faithful — reconciling them to Christ and his church in the sacrament of Penance, ministering to them and their families in the moments before and after death, preaching and teaching the mysteries of our faith until their hearts are on fire with divine love, and most especially, feeding them with the sacrificial banquet of Christ’s most sacred body and blood. None of this is on account of my own worthiness (I have none!) but is purely the gift of God.”
    Father Castor is the associate pastor at St. Joseph Church, Spearfish, and St. Paul Church, Belle Fourche.