Dan & Bobbi Vaughan with Msgr. Matthew
In July of 1990 Monsignor Matthew Odong, then rector of Sacred Heart Seminary (SHS) in Gulu Uganda, gave a mission appeal at St. George Catholic Church in Long Lake, MN. In his homily, he spoke about the humanitarian crisis that began in 1987 in the Archdiocese of Gulu in Northern Uganda. The bloody war between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA - a terrorist group led by Joseph Kony) and the Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces (UPDF) of the Ugandan Government caused immense suffering. Over one million people were forced from their homes with very little on which to survive. Families found themselves as refugees in their own land, without basic necessities or even safe drinking water. Thousands of innocent people were murdered, with hundreds of young boys and girls abducted and forced to become child soldiers, adding to the military might of the LRA.
What touched the worshipping community during his homily was the plight of SHS. The vocation to priesthood at the seminary had seriously declined, as many parents could not afford tuition due to the widespread poverty affecting families. Built in 1936, SHS was in need of numerous repairs and updates, including renovations for the church, classrooms, dormitories, dining hall, offices, and furnishings. Funds were greatly needed to provide food for the students, pay teachers and support staff, and establish a sponsorship program for needy students.
After Mass, Dan and Bobbi Vaughan approached Monsignor to learn more about the needs at SHS. After prayerful consideration, the Vaughans decided to launch a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to assisting the school. Sacred Heart Seminary Society (translated in Acholi as Adunu Maleng Pa Yesu Society, and later renamed Hope For Uganda) was born. Others were invited to support the society, and many responded through financial help, volunteering their time, and supporting the endeavor through prayer. HFU was legally established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in 1998.
Students on the Campus of AFSS
By the time the war ended in 2006, most of the secondary schools in Northern Uganda had been destroyed. SHS survived, but there was a great need for a co-ed boarding school. In 2009, through the assistance of HFU, Archbishop Flynn Secondary School (AFSS) opened its doors for boys and girls in Pader District, Northern Uganda.
Today, both schools are thriving. They provide a high-quality education with room and board in a safe, nurturing, and faith-filled environment. SHS currently enrolls over 160 young men studying for the priesthood. At AFSS, enrollment continues to grow with a total of over 700 students, split almost equally between boys and girls. Scholarship programs sponsored by HFU assist needy families, allowing students to remain in school at AFSS or pursue discernment of a priestly vocation at SHS.
Providence Medical Clinic
With assistance from David and Vicki Fagerlee, HFU helped build a medical center in Adilang. David Fagerlee Medical Centre (DMFC) opened its doors in 2016 to provide quality healthcare in rural Uganda. In addition to serving general medical needs and offering care for expectant mothers, the clinic creates a myriad of job opportunities for the local community.
In 2026, Providence Medical Clinic was completed on the campus of AFSS in Pader, serving AFSS students and the surrounding villages.
AFRUDEC banana field
In 2017, 261 acres of land were purchased by HFU. Throughout the years, generous benefactors have donated critical farm equipment and supplies. Biannual harvests help feed students and provide income and sustainability for the schools.
As of 2026, crops have been expanded to include corn, peanuts, rice, cassava, sunflower, bananas, coffee, and pineapples. The farm also has a small livestock production, including goats, pigs, 15 beef cows, and tilapia and catfish ponds.
AFRUDEC also provides employment for many locals and is specifically designed to educate on modern farming techniques and crop management. In addition to supporting AFSS, the farm hosts visitors and employees from other regions of the country because of the excellent educational opportunity it is set up to provide.
Blessing of Mass Kits
Over the years, HFU has expanded support for the Archdiocese of Gulu by providing Mass stipends for priests (their only means of support), assisting with parish maintenance, and equipping newly ordained priests with Mass kits, chasubles, and motorcycles to assist them in their pastoral ministries.
