#uganda martyrs catholic shrine namugongo

[ongolecharles]

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS (DSR) 📚 Group, Thu Oct 31st, 2024 ... Thursday of The Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

Reading 1

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EPH 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters:

Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.

Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm

against the tactics of the Devil.

For our struggle is not with flesh and blood

but with the principalities, with the powers,

with the world rulers of this present darkness,

with the evil spirits in the heavens.

Therefore, put on the armor of God,

that you may be able to resist on the evil day

and, having done everything, to hold your ground.

So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,

clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,

and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.

In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,

to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,

which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,

pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.

To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication

for all the holy ones and also for me,

that speech may be given me to open my mouth,

to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel

for which I am an ambassador in chains,

so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Responsorial Psalm

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144:1B, 2, 9-10

R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,

who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

My mercy and my fortress,

my stronghold, my deliverer,

My shield, in whom I trust,

who subdues my people under me.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

O God, I will sing a new song to you;

with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise,

You who give victory to kings,

and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

 

Alleluia

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See LK 19:38; 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

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LK 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,

“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go and tell that fox,

‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,

and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.

Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,

for it is impossible that a prophet should die

outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,

how many times I yearned to gather your children together

as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,

but you were unwilling!

Behold, your house will be abandoned.

But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

 

***

FOCUS AND LITURGY OF THE WORD

The Passion of God

Scripture so often rouses us.  We sink into our routine.  Grumbling about the workload.  Not enough pay, not enough recognition.  I do more than my share.  We measure and weigh; our spirit contracts defensively.

Paul writes from prison: call on God for your strength and resist evil.  You are needed in the struggle for justice.  The gospel of peace will draw fire.  Do not hide from the battles that surround you.  Hold up your faith and stand firm.  Above all, pray always.

Looking for a symbol of perseverance, Paul found the Roman soldier.  The armor, helmet, sword, and breastplate of the warrior are transformed.  Those who follow Christ are sheathed in his presence, so hold fast.  Do not draw your strength from weapons, but from the piercing and saving word of God.

Where do they struggle for justice?  Where do they proclaim peace?  Where do they resist the cry for war?  Am I with them?  God, give me the courage to hold my faith high.

The death threats continued.  Jesus was a marked man who would not be silenced.  Still he healed the sick, drove out evil spirits, and prophesized against the leaders of Jerusalem: you who will kill me in due time do not see the destruction bearing down upon you.  Even your mighty temple will fall.

Searching for expression of his love for us, Jesus found the mother bird.  Don’t you see how deeply I long for you?  Seek shelter under my wings.  Come home.

The evils of our day will not separate us from the love of God.

***

SAINT OF THE DAY

Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg

(c. 924 – August 31, 994)

Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg’s Story

Wolfgang was born in Swabia, Germany, and was educated at a school located at the abbey of Reichenau. There he encountered Henry, a young noble who went on to become Archbishop of Trier. Meanwhile, Wolfgang remained in close contact with the archbishop, teaching in his cathedral school and supporting his efforts to reform the clergy.

At the death of the archbishop, Wolfgang chose to become a Benedictine monk and moved to an abbey in Einsiedeln, now part of Switzerland. Ordained a priest, he was appointed director of the monastery school there. Later he was sent to Hungary as a missionary, though his zeal and good will yielded limited results.

Emperor Otto II appointed him Bishop of Regensburg, near Munich. Wolfgang immediately initiated reform of the clergy and of religious life, preaching with vigor and effectiveness and always demonstrating special concern for the poor. He wore the habit of a monk and lived an austere life.

The draw to monastic life never left him, including the desire for a life of solitude. At one point he left his diocese so that he could devote himself to prayer, but his responsibilities as bishop called him back. In 994, Wolfgang became ill while on a journey; he died in Puppingen near Linz, Austria. He was canonized in 1052. His feast day is celebrated widely in much of central Europe.

Reflection

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Wolfgang could be depicted as a man with rolled-up sleeves. He even tried retiring to solitary prayer, but taking his responsibilities seriously led him back into the service of his diocese. Doing what had to be done was his path to holiness—and ours.

***

【Build your Faith in Christ Jesus on #dailyscripturereadingsgroup 📚: +256 751 540 524 .. Whatsapp】

[07532834buke]

Namugongo Martyrs Shrine.

What is your favorite place to go in your city? The shrine is located in Kira Municipality,Wakiso district in Central Uganda, approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) by road North East of Kampala city. The Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs Namugongo is a Roman Catholic minor Basilica dedicated to the Uganda Martyrs. The construction was completed in 1968,the Basilica was decreed on 28 April 1993…

[oyet]

Nebbi Catholic Diocese pilgrims arrive at Namugongo

The Nebbi Catholic Diocese pilgrims have finally arrived in Namugongo after 14 grueling days of trekking, covering an impressive over 400 kilometers. The pilgrims’ unwavering dedication and perseverance have paid off, as they reached the Catholic Martyrs Shrine ahead of the highly anticipated Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations slated for June 3rd.Their remarkable journey is a testament to their…

[ongole]

https://youtu.be/d-YLA8jZ3dQ?feature=shared

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HIGHLIGHTS of Our "Daily Scripture 📚 Readings (DSR) group" pilgrimage to the Solemnity of the Annunciation at Kibeho-Rwanda April 06th-09th, 2024.

Registration for our next pilgrimage to the Assumption, Aug 13th-16th 2024 is now ongoing. Please REGISTER NOW at:

+256 751 540524

#CharlesOngole

The Lord be with you.

***

Charles Ongole John

Pilgrimage Coordinator

DSR 📚 GROUP PILGRIMAGES

Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Namugongo

UGANDA

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[urbanunkindness]

#UgandaMartyrs #firewood #artisticlicense (at Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Namugongo) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnpJEdqoJM3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[littlechronicillnessthings]

WIDOW, ORPHANS PLEA FOR HOUSING

Dearly beloved,

Peace to you!

I kindly beg your listening ear and fervent mind in this, my story of need!

On behalf of mama Claudia Okwi, an 82 year old widow, I bring you her housing plight for help. Mama Claudia lives with 3 biological children and 10 grandchildren in a dilapidated house in Otaaba village, Kumi, Eastern Uganda-Africa (see photo).

Claudia's husband was brutally murdered by govt soldiers in 1986. Uneducated, she groped to house, feed, and educate her children and grandchildren all alone in a state of conflict and war that engulfed her village and region. Her livestock was rustled, crops destroyed, and her homestead demolished. Lacking money and resources, her children dropped out of school. To preserve life she and her children were internally displaced in far-off Kampala between 1987-1994. After the Kony rebellion ebbed, she returned but only to an empty, dilapidated and collapsing 65 year old mud-and-wattle house. Peniless, she began life with bare, raw energy and community charity. She revived the old house for habitation and thanks to fate, fed her children from mother nature each day at a time. In the cause of her pain, she lost six of her children. Today, with a gravely leaky roof, crumbling walls, rotting and falling timber supports, and a sagged posture, the SOUL OF THIS HOUSE CAN NO LONGER HOLD OUT as safe habitation! All her children and her live in is the rocky foundation of their hearts that are faith-given to God. It's not uncommon therefore that cold, malaria, snake and pest attacks, savage weather elements and unremitting poverty endanger them all the more even as prospects to schooling for the orphans gets dim by the day.

In Sept 2018, and with help of the community, the widow and children began making 15,000 local bricks from the soil of their garden to erect a new spacious house. In the process, the loam soil of their crop-giving garden was destroyed. Thankfully, this house is taking shape today. Unfortunately, the crucial materials for its completion are prohibitively expensive and outside affordable reach of this widow:

▪roofing sheets ($1,326) ▪ timber ($1,432) ▪doors ($796)▪ windows ($1,194)▪ glass ($796)▪ paint ($530)▪ tiles ($2,653)▪ water and sewage ($1,856)▪ solar power ($2,652).

Once constructed, the widow believes her children will live healthier lives that will enable them attend regular schooling and have a future of hope, opportunity and success. It's the determination of this widow to spend the rest of her remaining life in working to ensure her orphans live useful lives like other children of the world!

● Her most kind prayer to you is that you hold her hand in her APPEAL TO RAISE US $ 13,235 to FUND completion of construction of her house.

SEND YOUR DONATION TO...

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Use "Western Union" or "Moneygram" to "Charles Ongole" on Tel No: +256789566733.

The widow profusely and from the bottom of her heart THANKS YOU and prays God's abundant blessings upon your kind, charitable heart !

"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action."...Mother Teresa

Thankfully yours,

Charles Ongole

lay missionary of charity of St Mother Teresa of Kolkata (LMC)

Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Parish

Namugongo

UGANDA

+256789566733

MOD NOTE: jesus tumblr did not notify me of this AT ALL, I am so sorry this is late posting!! 

[hicginewsagency]

Stampede at Namugongo as pilgrims scramble for 'holy'water.

Stampede at Namugongo as pilgrims scramble for ‘holy’water.

Updated by Faith Barbara Namagembe at 12:00 EAT on Saturday 4th June 2022. There was a stampede at the Uganda Martyrs Catholic shrine in Namugongo during the Martyr’s day celebrations on Friday afternoon as thousands of pilgrims fought to have at least a drop of water from the famous Martyrs’ lake. All hell broke loose when the day’s mass ended at around 1:00 pm.Armed with jerricans and bottles,…

[gouachevalier]

Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo

The Uganda Martyrs' Shrine in Namugongo, Uganda (1973) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica designed by Swiss architect Justus Dahinden is a conical building evoking an African hut with an exposed copper structure but an interior paneled in wood and glass. The round church with the altar in the center reflects both the ideology of the liturgical movement and traditional African practice. Annually on 3 June, Christians from Uganda and other parts of the world congregate at Namugongo to commemorate the lives and religious beliefs of the Uganda Martyrs. Crowds have been estimated in hundreds of thousands in some years. In June 2015, an estimated 2 million people attended the event.

(Credit: Isabelle Prondzynsk/CC BY-SA, 2.0)

[outdoortrekkers-blog]

During these trying times, let's Stay Strong as the Uganda Martyrs who stood by their Faith during their troubled days. #martyrsday #martyrsday2020 #uganda #ugandamartyrs #religion #ReligiousSites #religions #blacklivesmatter #blackcontinent #africa #visiteastafrica #visituganda #visitugandatomorrow #travel #traveltomorrow #travelsoon #instagood #instatravel #travelgram #faith (at Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Namugongo Publicists Forum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA9pd2iHHX6/?igshid=4dgh12pnv6ca

[gobtv]

Pilgrims celebrate Uganda Martyrs, Museveni hails Nyerere

Pilgrims celebrate Uganda Martyrs, Museveni hails Nyerere

Uganda is playing host to millions of pilgrims, including from Tanzania, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and world over, as it commemorates its martyrs of faith.

Every year on June 3, the 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts to Christianity who were executed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda between 31 January 1885 and 27 January 1887, are remembered at the Namugongo Martyrs shrines.

[ongolecharles]

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS (DSR) 📚 Group, Fri Sept 27th, 2024 ... Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B/Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

Reading 1

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Eccl 3:1-11

There is an appointed time for everything,

and a time for every thing under the heavens.

A time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to tear down, and a time to build.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;

a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

A time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away.

A time to rend, and a time to sew;

a time to be silent, and a time to speak.

A time to love, and a time to hate;

a time of war, and a time of peace.

What advantage has the worker from his toil?

I have considered the task that God has appointed

for the sons of men to be busied about.

He has made everything appropriate to its time,

and has put the timeless into their hearts,

without man’s ever discovering,

from beginning to end, the work which God has done.

Responsorial Psalm

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Ps 144:1b and 2abc, 3-4

R. (1) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,

my mercy and my fortress,

my stronghold, my deliverer,

My shield, in whom I trust.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

LORD, what is man, that you notice him;

the son of man, that you take thought of him?

Man is like a breath;

his days, like a passing shadow.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Alleluia

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Mk 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Son of Man came to serve

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

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Lk 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,

and the disciples were with him,

he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;

still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”

Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”

He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly

and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,

and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

***

FOCUS AND LITURGY OF THE WORD

God’s timing is so incredibly perfect.  His touch on each of our lives each and every day is so constant and profound that we typically do not even notice it.  Of all the people on earth, I find it beyond comprehension that my God who created everything could be constantly involved in my simple, personal life.  I fail miserably in trying to understand how this could be, and yet it is true !

Today’s first Reading from Ecclesiastes comforts me, for I am clearly not alone in the wonder of God’s role in my individual life.  Here Solomon points out that literally every single aspect of our lives follows an appointed time, a plan orchestrated by our God.  A plan in which there is a specific time for everything that makes up our life.  As Solomon began to see the bigger picture, it troubled him as he tried to make sense of life.  This is not only surprising, but perhaps shocking.  It was obvious that Solomon had a relationship with God his entire life, so how could he become so disillusioned.

This is where it hits close to home for us all today.  We easily become disillusioned with our lives.  Society around us seems to be spiraling out of control and there always seems to be so much that simply makes no sense.  Of course this all points us to the futility of thinking we are in control, but like King Solomon, we easily forget who is really involved in and is in complete control of every moment of our lives.

In chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon shares his wise conclusion – the fact that God has indeed laid out the exact time frame and series of events for our lives.  We do not live a life of random occurrences, but rather our lives follow a specific plan – an appointed time - orchestrated by our amazing God.  Not only are birth and death planned in advance, but likewise literally everything else we experience throughout our lives is appointed by God. 

So what are we to make of all this?  Solomon struggled with the question of “what is our life supposed to be all about?”  He came to the only conclusion that makes any sense at all.  It is God who is in complete control. We can never fathom how this all works simply because our God is beyond anything that we could ever grasp.  Solomon concludes in verse eleven “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Our Responsorial Psalm takes us to the logical and comforting conclusion to these facts.  The Lord is truly our rock.  He is our fortress, our stronghold, our deliverer and our shield.  Even though we are only one of billions of individuals He has created, we can indeed place our total trust in God.  He is fully capable of knowing each of us individually and is involved in the details of each of our lives.  A fact that is truly beyond comprehension and yet so very comforting !  This fact encourages us to boldly use this time in each of our lives to live for our Lord and Savior while we work to point others to Jesus.

Both today’s Alleluia in Mark and the Gospel in Luke point to the absolute fact that Jesus is our eternal Lord and Savior.  A fact that we pray everyone will truly embraces. 

Let's pray ...  

Dear Heavenly Father,  help us to find eternal peace with the fact that we will never be able to fully grasp the magnitude of who You are.  Help us to remain forever grateful that You are fully engaged in every moment of our lives.  Help us to keep our eyes constantly upon You so that Your love may effectively flow through us, enabling our lives to point to You and You alone. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen

***

SAINT OF THE DAY

Saint Vincent de Paul

(1580 – September 27, 1660)

Saint Vincent de Paul’s Story

The deathbed confession of a dying servant opened Vincent de Paul’s eyes to the crying spiritual needs of the peasantry of France. This seems to have been a crucial moment in the life of the man from a small farm in Gascony, France, who had become a priest with little more ambition than to have a comfortable life.

The Countess de Gondi—whose servant he had helped—persuaded her husband to endow and support a group of able and zealous missionaries who would work among poor tenant farmers and country people in general. Vincent was too humble to accept leadership at first, but after working for some time in Paris among imprisoned galley slaves, he returned to be the leader of what is now known as the Congregation of the Mission, or the Vincentians. These priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages.

Later, Vincent established confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick of each parish. From these, with the help of Saint Louise de Marillac, came the Daughters of Charity, “whose convent is the sickroom, whose chapel is the parish church, whose cloister is the streets of the city.” He organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war, and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. He was zealous in conducting retreats for clergy at a time when there was great laxity, abuse, and ignorance among them. He was a pioneer in clerical training and was instrumental in establishing seminaries.

Most remarkably, Vincent was by temperament a very irascible person—even his friends admitted it. He said that except for the grace of God he would have been “hard and repulsive, rough and cross.” But he became a tender and affectionate man, very sensitive to the needs of others.

Pope Leo XIII made him the patron of all charitable societies. Outstanding among these, of course, is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, founded in 1833 by his admirer Blessed Frédéric Ozanam.

Reflection

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The Church is for all God’s children, rich and poor, peasants and scholars, the sophisticated and the simple. But obviously the greatest concern of the Church must be for those who need the most help—those made helpless by sickness, poverty, ignorance, or cruelty. Vincent de Paul is a particularly appropriate patron for all Christians today, when hunger has become starvation, and the high living of the rich stands in more and more glaring contrast to the physical and moral degradation in which many of God’s children are forced to live.

Saint Vincent de Paul is the Patron Saint of:

Charitable Societies

***

【Build your Faith in Christ Jesus on #dailyscripturereadingsgroup 📚: +256 751 540 524 .. Whatsapp】

[afroinsider]

Museveni: Nobody Has Made as Much Contribution to the African Race as Nyerere

Museveni: Nobody Has Made as Much Contribution to the African Race as Nyerere

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Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni has described former Tanzanian President, Julius Nyerere as having made the single most contribution to the African race.

Museveni made the statement Saturday after attending mass at Namugongo Catholic martyrs’ shrine ahead of the annual Martyrs Day celebrations scheduled for June 3 in Namugongo.

The mass where pilgrims…

[mubahood360]

Uganda Martyrs Day dominated by COVID19 Talk

Uganda Martyrs Day dominated by COVID19 Talk

Ugandans have been urged to stay home and follow the directives put in place by Ministry of health and President Yoweri Museveni. The call was made by several preachers during celebration of Uganda Martyrs Day.

At Namugongo Catholic Shrine, prayers were led by the Kampala Archbishop His Grace Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga who imagined how things would have been, if the day was celebrated in the…

[amutheology]

PhD Student’s Summer Adventures in Uganda

Fr. Joseph Lugalambi, who was born and raised in Uganda, was ordained a priest on August 5, 2017, and will be entering his second year of the PhD Program this Fall, has shared some of his summer adventures with us. His summer has been packed with activities ranging from a Mission Trip, to a Symposium on Humanae Vitae, to seminary and parish ministry, in addition to perfecting his Biblical Greek.

By Fr. Joseph Lugalambi

Mission Trip

On May 7th – May 19th 2018 a group of 9 student-missionaries from Ave Maria University went to Uganda to be with the Missionaries of Charity (MC) sisters in Kampala-Uganda.

The MC Sisters have a house at Namugongo-Kampala, near the shrine where most of the Uganda martyrs were killed. There are 21 disabled children and 8 elderly in residence with the MC Sisters who are dependent upon the sisters for their day-to-day needs. During our stay with the Sisters we did laundry for the children and elderly, took them outside to play, helped them do their physical exercises, bathed, and even fed them. Students from Ave also taught the kids some board games, songs, and prayed with them in their chapel.

One wonderful experience for the students was going on home visitations with the sisters. This allowed the students to see the (poor) living conditions of most of the people in Uganda and to appreciate what they have in the United States.

The Ave Maria group visited Luzira maximum prison at the shores of Lake Victoria where prisoners serving longer sentences (15 years +) are kept. We prayed with them and shared some basic materials (food, water, etc.) with them. We were so touched by their faith and how they yearn for a priest to have Mass for them and hear their confessions. They receive a priest only twice a year.

In between our work we also had time to take a boat ride on Lake Victoria and the river Nile, toured Mabira forest- the biggest in East Africa, and visited my family in Masaka. We had a Mass at my parents’ house followed by lunch, and the Ave group played soccer with the children in my village. The children still cherish the moments they spent with their “friends from the USA.”

 Symposium Paper

The Catholic Professionals Association of Uganda organized a symposium at Makerere University (Kampala) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae. The key note speaker was a professor of philosophy at Makerere University, Dr. Anthony Mulindwa, who gave an exposition of Humanae Vitae and how it’s prophetic message is a reality in the world today. 

My paper was on “The Dissent from the Message of Humanae Vitae by Uganda’s National Sexuality Framework 2018.” The ministry of education and sports in Uganda launched a sexuality education curriculum to be taught in schools starting next academic year 2018-2019. The Framework intends to start teaching sexual education to kids as early as 3 years (pre-primary). Although the Framework often states that the purpose of sexual education is to help kids develop “principles and values in order to be God fearing, as the country’s motto states,” the sexuality Framework is full of a language and statements such as “unsafe abortion, etc.” that is open to various interpretations. I also noted that although the sexual education Framework emphasizes abstinence and marital faithfulness, it is not appropriate to teach a 3-year-old abstinence because he/she does would not understand what it even means. Also, the language of the Framework does not completely exclude contraception as part of the education curriculum.

I noted that it is not enough for the episcopal conference of Catholic Bishops of Uganda to dissent from the National Sexuality Framework to be taught in Catholic Schools, but it is time for the Catholic Church in Uganda to develop a curriculum modeled on the John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (like that in the USA and in some parts of Europe) to be taught in our Catholic founded schools.

The audience was comprised of professors from different universities in Uganda, representatives from the ministry of Education and Sports, Catholic medical doctors, students, clergy, and many professionals from different walks of life.

I was surprised that even some professionals did not know the Church’s teachings against contraception. The audience (especially students) challenged the clergy and teachers to help them understand the church’s teaching on such hot-button issues such as contraception and abortion. I realized that since abortion is illegal in Uganda, teachers and most clergy take it for granted and do not talk about it as often as they should.

It was a wonderful experience. I was asked by the secretary general of the episcopal conference to talk to the education secretariate about developing the Theology of the Body curriculum to be taught in our schools in the near future. 

The Rest of the Summer

I have spent most of the summer at St. Thomas Aquinas National Major Seminary in Masaka. I gave a one week conference to the men preparing to join the Major seminary on the four aspects of seminary formation: intellectual, spiritual, pastoral and spiritual. I’ve also been helping with weekend liturgies at my home parish.

Moreover, I have been also studying Biblical Greek online, I have spent some good time with family and friends back home, and I have worked on a coffee partnership with Guadalupe Roastery with the people of Uganda.

[vincnam]

Thousands of Christians from the country and other parts of the world are at Uganda Martyrs shrine in Namugongo. Over 4million people are expected to attend at the Catholics and protestant shrines. The day is commemorated on June 3 every year in honor of the martyrdom of 45 young men who converted to Christianity between 1885 and 1887. The conversions annoyed the then King of Buganda, Mwanga II who ordered that they are burnt to death. Many of the pilgrims walked hundreds of miles from within and outside Uganda up to Namugongo as a sign of honor to the Martyrs. #namugongo #ugandamartyrs

[romancatholicreflections]

3rd June >> Daily Reflection on Today's Saint of the Day for Roman Catholics: Saint Charles Lwanga.

Saints Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (memorial)*In Ireland, because of the feast of St Kevin, this memorial is celebrated on June 4. Charles Lwanga at a very early age was sent to Buddu in the south west of Uganda to be brought up by Kaddu, whom some believe to be his biological father but who may have been an uncle. Charles was a Ganda who belonged to the Bush-Buck clan. Members of this clan were traditionally banned from the royal court, so when Lwanga took service at court he passed as a member of the Colobus Monkey clan, to which his former master and patron belonged. In 1878, Kaddu placed Lwanga, then aged about eighteen, in the service of Mawulugungu, the chief of Kirwanyi, mentioned by the explorer H. M. Stanley. The following year the chief was transferred to Ssingo County, accompanied by Lwanga. On a visit to the capital in 1880, Lwanga became interested in the teaching of the White Father missionaries and began taking instruction. When Mawugungu died in 1882, his court was dispersed and Lwanga joined a group of recently baptized Christians in Bulemezi County. On the accession of King Mwanga in 1884, Lwanga entered the royal service. His personality was such that he was at once placed in charge of the royal pages in the great audience hall, immediately winning their confidence and affection. His immediate superior was Joseph Mukasa (Mkasa), chief steward of Mwanga’s court, a 25-year-old Catholic who was the leader of the small community of 200 Christians. He came to rely more and more completely on Lwanga for the instruction and guidance of the royal pages and for shielding them from the evil influences at court. King Mwanga was a violent ruler and a paedophile, who forced himself on the young boys and men who served in his court. On 15 November 1885, the day of Joseph Mukasa’s martyrdom, Lwanga and some other royal servants, whose lives were in danger because they were catechumens, went to the White Fathers’ Mission and were baptized by Fr Simeon Lourdel. The following day, the king assembled all the pages and demanded under pain of death that they confess their Christian allegiance. All of them, Catholic and Anglican, except for three, did so. Mwanga was baffled by the solidarity and constancy of the young Christians but hesitated to carry out his threat to kill them all. On one occasion, Lwanga exclaimed that, far from helping the white men take over the kingdom, he was ready to lay down his life for the king. After a fire in the royal palace on 22 February 1886, Mwanga moved the court temporarily to his hunting lodge on the shore of Lake Victoria. Here Lwanga continued to protect the pages from the King’s homosexual advances and to prepare them for possible martyrdom. By this time, Mwanga had obtained the consent of his chiefs for a massacre of the Christians. Meanwhile, Lwanga himself baptized five of the most promising catechumens. On May 26, the pages entered the royal courtyard to receive judgement and were once again called upon to confess their faith. This they did, declaring that they were ready to die rather than deny it. Mwanga ordered them all, 16 Catholics and 10 Anglicans, to be burnt alive at Namugongo. The cruelly-bound prisoners passed the home of the White Fathers on their way to execution. Fr Lourdel almost fainted at the courage and joy these condemned converts, his friends, showed on their way to martyrdom. He noted how tightly they were bound, but more especially their calmness and even joyful disposition in the face of death. The martyrs were taken to the execution place of Namugongo where they were kept in confinement for a week. Preparations for the execution pyre were not completed until June 2. During this time the martyrs prayed and sang together, while the missionaries, both Catholic and Anglican, paid fruitless visits to the king to appeal for the lives of their young converts. On June 3, before killing the main body of prisoners, Charles Lwanga was put to death on a small pyre on the hill above the execution place. He was wrapped in a reed mat, with a slave yoke on his neck but was allowed to arrange the pyre himself. To make him suffer more, the fire was first lit under his feet and legs. These were burnt to charred bones before the flames were allowed to reach the rest of his body. Taunted by the executioner, Charles replied: “You are burning me, but it is as if you are pouring water over my body.” He then remained quietly praying. Just before the end, he cried out in a loud voice Katonda! “My God!” After his death, the rest were incinerated further down the hill. When the White Fathers were expelled from the country, the new Christians continued to practice their faith. Without priests, they kept the Catholic Church alive and growing in Uganda. When the White Fathers returned after King Mwanga’s death, they found 500 Christians and 1,000 catchumens waiting for them. Charles Lwanga was beatified along with 21 other martyrs by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. All 22 were canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964. In 1969, Paul VI laid the foundation stone of the Catholic shrine at Namugongo on the place of Saint Charles Lwanga’s martyrdom. This shrine was dedicated on 3 June 1975, by a specially appointed papal legate, Cardinal Sergio Pignedoli.