Walk of Faith! Why Martyrs day is important to Catholics

 

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Hundreds of Catholics and Anglicans across East Africa have today gathered at Namugongo shrine in Uganda to celebrate the Martyrs day.

The Uganda Martyrs are a group of 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts to Christianity in the historical kingdom of Buganda, now part of Uganda, who were executed between 31 January 1885 and 27 January 1887. They were killed on orders of Mwanga II, the Kabaka (King) of Buganda.

The story of the Uganda martyrs is said to have started in January 1885 when members of the Church Missionary Society asked the king for permission to leave as they were going to Kagei in Tanzania to have some letters sent back home.

They were officially seen off by the kingdom, with Katikkiro (Buganda’s prime minister) Mukasa presenting Alexander Mackay with gifts such as foodstuff to be used during the journey.

On January 30, 1885, Mackay, Robert P. Ashe and three native boys as their helpers set off for the journey to Kagei from the mission house in Busega. Three hours into the journey, they were attacked and ordered back to where they had come from without an explanation

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Upon reaching near the CMS mission house where the Anglican martyrs’ church in Natete is today, the missionaries were released and their two servants took away.

On January 31, 1885, the three teenage boys who were with the two missionaries  Mark Kakumba, 16, Joseph Lugalama, 12, and Noah Serwanga, 19 were killed at present-day Busega Anglican Martyr’s Church.
Their executioner, Mudalasi, a Muslim, first asked them if they admitted being followers of Jesus Christ before burning them.

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Mudalasi went on to ask the boys if they believed they would resurrect if they died. Their answers angered him and he threatened to burn them. But they never relented in their resolve.

Serwanga was the first Ugandan to shed blood for his faith when he had his arms cut off before being thrown in the fire. Kakumba suffered the same fate.

However, when it came to the turn of 12-year-old Lugalama, the only Munyankole martyr, he pleaded, saying: “Please do not cut off my arms. I will not struggle; only throw me in the fire.”
Months after the killings in Busega, news of a guest through Buganda’s back door reached Mwanga’s courts.

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Having been warned of the dangers posed by such a guest to his kingdom, Mwanga ordered his execution. But he wanted the death of Bishop Hannington kept away from the missionaries.

Shortly after Hannington’s death, the royal court experienced some calamities which made Mwanga think that Mackay and Ashe were bewitching him. First, he got an eye infection and before it could cure completely, his entire royal court was destroyed by fire when his gun powder box exploded.

Since then, Catholics across East Africa have been celebrating Martyrs Day in honor on the fallen heroes.

Last Week, at least four Kenyan pilgrims who were walking to Namugongo’s Martyrs Catholic Shrine in Uganda died when they were hit by a matatu on Sunday morning.

Two of the victims were from Kisoko Parish while the other two were from Naitiri Parish, which is both under Bungoma Catholic Diocese. The victims were among the about 150 pilgrims who were heading to Namugongo for this year’s martyr’s day to be marked on June 3.

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