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 Canonization of the Ugandan Martyrs (Charles Lwanga is Depicted on the ₤20 Stamp) Scott 404-409 (1965) The Liturgical Calendar has June 3 as the Feast of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, sometimes referred to as the "Ugandan Martyrs". Their story reminds us that Christian martyrdom existed not only in the Roman Empire, but also in more modern history. The set of six stamps shown above were issued in 1965 to mark the canonization of the Ugandan Martyrs on October 18, 1964. The Ugandan Martyrs include 22 Africans who were martyred between 1884 and 1887 for their faith by the ruler of Buganda, Mwanga II (1884-1888, 1889-1897). The martyrs included both Roman Catholics and Anglicans. The martyrdom occurred during an era when the Catholic White Fathers and the London Missionary Society began missionary activities in Central Africa. Charles Lwanga was in charge of royal pages, several of whom he baptized as well as catechized. Some of the pages were subject to the king’s pederasty. Because of the catechizing attempts, the pages were assembled, led to Namungongo, a distance of 37 miles, where they were wrapped in reed mats and burned alive. Among the group was Joseph Mukasa who was beheaded for criticizing the kabaka (king) for debauchery and for the murder of an Anglican missionary in 1885. David Attwater writes that the "passion of these young Africans…reads like some narrative of martyrdom in the first Christian centuries, especially by the cheerfulness by which they went to their death. When asked if they wished to remain Christian, they replied ‘Unto Death'."Buganda was one of the regional territories that make up modern-day Uganda. It was declared a British protectorate in 1884 but Mwanga II revolted in 1897. He fled to German West Africa and was deposed in absentia. He was relocated to the Seychelles where he later became an Anglican Christian. 
 Visit of Pope Paul VI to Uganda Scott 473-475 (1969) The Martyrs’ Anniversary was proclaimed a holiday in modern-day Uganda. In 1969, Pope Paul VI visited Uganda and the Ugandan Martyrs shrine at Munyonyo, celebrating Mass at the site. Charles Lwanga and Companions are often referred to as ‘the martyrs of Black Africa.’  Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine, Uganda Photo by Wulman83 From Wikimedia Commons Used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license REFERENCES: |
