Martyrs Day: A Story of Martyrs

Many Rwandan Christians especially of Catholic faith are named after Ugandan Martyrs, but only a few of them know a thing or two about the origin of their names. As Uganda and the rest of the World celebrate the Martyrs day, let’s take a close look at who these gallant people were. Uganda Martyrs were Christian converts who were murdered for their faith in the historical kingdom of Buganda, now part of Uganda. On 3 June 1886, thirty-two young men, subjects of King Mwanga of Buganda Kingdom, were burned to death at Namugongo, a Kampala suburb for their refusal to renounce Christianity. In the following months many other Christians throughout the country died by spear or fire for their faith. These martyrdoms totally changed the dynamics of Christian growth in Uganda. Introduced by a handful of Anglican and Roman missionaries after 1877, the Christian faith had been preached only to the immediate members of the court, by order of King Mutesa. His successor King Mwanga became increasingly angry as he realized that the first converts put loyalty to Christ above the traditional loyalty to the king. Martyrdoms began in 1885. Mwanga first forbade anyone to go near a Christian mission on pain of death, but finding himself unable to cool the ardour of the converts, resolved to wipe out Christianity. The Namugongo martyrdoms produced a result entirely opposite to Mwanga’s intentions. The example of these martyrs, who walked to their deaths singing hymns and praying for their enemies, so inspired many of the bystanders that they began to seek instruction from the remaining ChristiansWithin a few years the original handful of converts had multiplied many times and spread far beyond the court. The martyrs had left the indelible impression that Christianity was truly African, not simply a white man’s religion. Most of the missionary work was carried out by Africans rather than by white missionaries, and Christianity spread steadily. Uganda now has the largest percentage of professed Christians of any nation in Africa. To honour these modern saints, Paul VI became the first reigning pope to visit sub-Saharan Africa when he visited Uganda in July 1969; a visit which included a pilgrimage to the site of the martyrdom at Namugongo. He also dedicated a site for the building of a shrine church in honour of the martyrs, at the spot where Charles Lwanga was martyred. The shrine church itself was dedicated in 1975 and it was later named a basilica church, a high honour in Catholicism. Pope John Paul II also honoured the martyrs with his own pilgrimage in February 1993. Every year, June 3, when most of the martyrs were killed, is marked as a national holiday in Uganda. It is also marked worldwide on the church calendar as a day to honour the Uganda Martyrs. The Martyrs’ Day celebrations begin with a Novena in various parts of the country especially in places where different Martyrs were either born or killed. The Novena begins from May 25 to June 2. The Novena at Namugongo is also attended by pilgrims from neighbouring countries like; Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and from some other continents. Many of these pilgrims, young and old, walk miles and miles from their home areas up to Namugongo as a sign of honour to the Martyrs who shed their blood for the sake of their Lord Jesus Christ. They spend weeks on this long journey trying to invoke the Uganda Martyrs to intercede for them in overcoming their problems. These, indeed have often testified Martyrs’ positive reaction to their prayers as they get salvaged from their bonds. Meanwhile, it is a joy time for traders of food, clothing and other items in Namugongo as they start to serve the mass crowds that come for the Martyrs’ Day celebrations. This makes their business boom not only at Namugongo but even in the neighbouring trading centres. martin.bishop182yahoo.com