St. Leonard associate pastor making a difference in Uganda

In his 25 years of service as a priest, the Rev. Alex Ojacor has spent eight years as an associate pastor at St. Leonard’s Parish in Berwyn.

Originally from eastern Uganda, Ojacor grew up in a poor rural village, the third of five brothers and two sisters. Getting suitable education was difficult, especially when basic resources such as food and clean water were scarce, he recalled.

“I had to walk five miles to school and back everyday without food,” Ojacor said. “Our lunch would normally be climbing a mango tree or some wild fruit trees. For most kids, it was a cup of water that you had to fight for in the only borehole in the school.”

Since becoming a priest, Ojacor has wanted to give the children of his home village the resources that were unavailable to him when he was a child. In 2016, he founded the Samaritan Nursery and Primary School, which houses 106 children and gives them a kindergarten-level education. To commemorate his 25 years of service as a priest, Ojacor is raising funds for when he visits his home village this month and further expands the school.

“As I continued my education in [junior seminary], I made a resolution that one day if I had the means, I would do something for the children in the village so that they would not go though what I experienced,” he said.

The living conditions in developing countries such as Uganda continue to be dire for those in rural communities. Much of northern and eastern Uganda still is recovering from a 20-year civil war, and while there is relative peace, many regions still lack basic resources, Ojacor said. The Samaritan Nursery and Primary School gives children access to education, food and clean water while helping them heal through the trauma of the country’s past.

Ojacor wants to expand the school to house 250 students.

“The needs are great but our capacity is still limited,” Ojacor said. “It is for this reason that we would like to construct an eight-classroom block that would have standard classroom and office space so as to expand our capacity and benefit more children. We should have started first grade this year but we were grounded by [the] COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to start first grade next year.”

The Samaritan Nursery and Primary School operates entirely through donations, and for Ojacor, much of that help has come from the Berwyn community. While he’s a recognized figure for St. Leonard’s parishioners, he’s also broadened his experience in ministering spiritual health by working with Loyola University Medical Center and Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. For the wider community, he’s given services and attended retreats for Trinity High School, St. Ignatius High School, Lewis University and University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein seminary.

“I came straight from Uganda, which is different in many ways to the United States,” Ojacor said. “It was quite a culture shock. So I was apprehensive about the kind of reception I would receive. To my surprise and joy, I soon settled in and felt part of the community. This community welcomed me with open hands and hearts when I was still struggling to learn the culture. I am convinced that I am not just like family here. I am family.”