This article examines the legacy of Cardinal Emmanuel Nsubuga in shaping Uganda’s Catholic religious heritage through the creation, preservation, and revitalisation of sacred spaces. While scholarship has largely emphasized Nsubuga’s political leadership during Uganda’s turbulent decades, this study foregrounds his role in Catholic memory-making and spatial politics in the 1960s. Drawing on archival records, oral interviews, and secondary literature, the article analyses three major initiatives: the construction of Namugongo Catholic Martyrs Shrine, the repatriation of the remains of early Catholic missionaries, and the monumental preservation and social transformation of Nalukolongo, one of the earliest Catholic preaching sites in Buganda. It argues that Nsubuga’s interventions strategically reinforced Catholic identity and historical presence within a religious landscape historically dominated by Protestant institutions. His efforts mobilised religious memory, architectural symbolism, and indigenous cultural values, particularly the veneration of ancestors and care for the vulnerable, to produce a distinctly Ugandan expression of Catholicism. Through these material and spiritual projects, Nsubuga embedded Catholic heritage in Uganda’s national consciousness, fostered communal devotion, and advanced the Church’s social mission. The article positions Nsubuga as a central architect of Uganda’s modern Catholic landscape and as a key figure in the ongoing negotiation of religion, memory, and public life.