Uganda Martyrs’ Alokolum National Major Seminary has a rich history. It is located in northern Uganda, some 11 km west of Gulu city, on Alero off juba road. The area was called Alokolum because the predominant clan that emigrated from Anaka in 1920s by the order of the colonial government due to the prevalence of sleeping sickness there. There also households of other clans such as the Alero, Ayom, Ariya and Patuda. Many others would later enter from the nearby clans. All these indigenous people were of the Acholi tribe.

Alokolum under the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in Uganda

The congregation of the Sacred Heart Brothers was founded in 1821 by a priest, Andre Coindre in Lyon (France) from where the brothers have spread too many parts of the world. They constituted houses or communities where the brothers live in a particular locality. The houses or communities grouped together to form a district attached to a province.

The Brothers came to Gulu (Uganda in 1931, in response to the “urgent plea” of Msgr. Vignato who was the then Prefect Apostolic of the Equatorial Nile. Msgr. Vignato called the Brothers “to fill in the serious need for Christian educators”. The first group consisted of four volunteers including Br. Norbert who stood as a replacement for Br. Julius who fell ill before the journey. All the brothers came from the New Orleans province of the USA. They arrived in Gulu on August 19th 1931. In the subsequent years, other Brothers added to their number.