Amazing Display of Catholic Faith with 4 Million Attending Holy Mass at Uganda's Martyr's Shrine in Uganda, Africa


About 4 million faithful participated on June 3, in the Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Basilica in Namugongo, in the celebrations in memory of the Ugandan Martyrs. The shrine is about 20 km from the capital Kampala.
This year's celebration marked 60 years since Pope Paul VI canonized a total of 22 Catholics and 23 Anglicans killed between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of King Mwanga II in the then Kingdom of Buganda. It is celebrated every June 3rd in memory of the martyrdom of Saint Charles Lwanga, one of the 22 Catholics killed. This year the Ugandan diocese of Nebbi was in charge of the celebrations.

On May 15, a delegation of about 700 pilgrims from Nebbi set out on foot in the rain to reach Namugongo. They covered almost 500 km in two weeks, crossing two sub-regions (Bunyoro and West Nile) and five counties (Pakwach, Kiryandongo, Nakasongola, Luwero and Kampala) before reaching the Catholic pilgrimage site.
They were accompanied by Msgr. Raphael p'Mony Wokorach, the outgoing Bishop of Nebbi and Metropolitan Archbishop-elect of Gulu. Msgr. Wokorach also celebrated the Mass with 20 other concelebrating bishops in a pavilion in the middle of an artificial lake, just a few hundred meters from the basilica built on the spot where St. Charles Lwanga was killed.

In his homily, the Archbishop-elect warned the faithful not to allow themselves to be seduced by all forms of idolatry and practices that are not in keeping with the Christian faith, such as polygamy, witchcraft and genital mutilation, recalling that Ugandan martyrs preferred to die so as not to renounce their faith.
The celebration was attended not only by faithful from Uganda, but also from several other African countries (South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Botswana, South Africa) and from other continents (Argentina, Colombia, Australia and Denmark). The Mass was also attended by important state representatives, including President Yoweri Museveni. 
The president wrote:
The martyrs have been celebrated for the past 60 years for their display of courage, despite being new converts, they remained resolute and protected the seed of Christianity that had been sowed in them. I implore you all to be inspired by this courage, and sacrifice, but not to limit it to only faith and religion but other aspects of life specifically wealth creation through profitable enterprises like commercial agriculture, ICT, services, and industry.

(Edited from Source: Agenzia Fides, 4/6/2024)



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