Thousands of pilgrims have convened at Namugongo township in central Uganda to mark the Uganda Martyrs Day, a major event in the country’s calendar.
The ceremony is held annually at Wakiso district, some 12 kilometres northeast of the capital Kampala, on June 3 of every year, and is a public holiday in Uganda.
Between January 31, 1885 and January 27, 1887, a group of 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts, mostly young Ugandan men, were executed on the orders of King Mwanga II of the Buganda Kingdom.
To commemorate this year’s event, more than 800 pilgrims from Lira region in northern Uganda started their walk to the Namugongo Shrine on May 18 and arrived on May 31 ahead of the Monday convention.
This year’s celebration also marked the 60th anniversary of the canonisation of the Uganda Martyrs.
The event was attended by prominent religious leaders, government officials as well as the Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni
In his remarks, Museveni said he decided to be part of the celebrations to thank God for the long life he has given him.
“When I heard that we were celebrating 60 years, I told Mama (Janet) that we need to go and be part of it,” Museveni.
“I thank God that I have been here all this time; when the saints were canonised I was 19 years old and in S.4 at Ntare. Again in 1986 when we came from the bush, we said this day should be a public holiday because back then it was not celebrated as a holiday. They used to wait until the weekend.”
Here are 7 things to know about Uganda Martyrs Day Celebrations and Pilgrimages
- In the late 1800s, Christian missionaries began arriving in Africa. The first group of foreign people to arrive were Catholic missionaries, who were on a mission to spread the Christian gospel.
- The group would later establish a mission centre in Uganda. The Buganda Kingdom was one of the most powerful monarchies in Africa then. The king at the time, Muteesa I, allowed his people the freedom of choosing their religious faith.
- Some members of the community, however, believed that Christianity was eroding their tradition, culture, and values. When Muteesa I died in October 1884, his son, Mwanga, was coronated. Unlike his father, Mwanga did not tolerate other religions and had a strong disapproval of Christianity. He felt the missionaries had diluted his power, and in 1885, barely a year after becoming the king, Mwanga had three missionaries executed.
- Mwanga targeted people who worked with the missionaries, and when Charles Lwanga, a missionary, attempted to shield them, he and 16 other missionaries were killed.
- When the persecution ended in 1887, 45 Christians from the Anglican and Catholic churches had lost their lives. On June 3, 1975, Pope Paul VI had a shrine dedicated to the martyrs.
- Holiday observed since 1975 and is of great significance to Ugandan people. It celebrates the bravery and sacrifice of 45 Christians who chose execution rather than renouncing their faith.
- The Ugandan martyrs are hailed as heroes, and in some cases, saints. The 45 executed Ugandans are treated as a symbol of inspiration, hope, and unity to Ugandans.
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