#uganda martyrs catholic shrine namugongo

[ongolecharles]

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS (DSR) 📚 Group, Wed July 24th, 2024 ... Wednesday of The Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

Reading 1

----------

Jer 1:1, 4-10

The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah,

of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.

The word of the LORD came to me thus:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I dedicated you,

a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

“Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,

"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”

But the LORD answered me,

Say not, “I am too young.”

To whomever I send you, you shall go;

whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Have no fear before them,

because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,

See, I place my words in your mouth!

This day I set you

over nations and over kingdoms,

To root up and to tear down,

to destroy and to demolish,

to build and to plant.

Responsorial Psalm

----------------

Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17

R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.

In you, O LORD, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;

incline your ear to me, and save me.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

Be my rock of refuge,

a stronghold to give me safety,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

For you are my hope, O Lord;

my trust, O God, from my youth.

On you I depend from birth;

from my mother’s womb you are my strength.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

My mouth shall declare your justice,

day by day your salvation.

O God, you have taught me from my youth,

and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

R. I will sing of your salvation.

Alleluia

---------

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;

all who come to him will live for ever.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

--------

Mt 13:1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.

Such large crowds gathered around him

that he got into a boat and sat down,

and the whole crowd stood along the shore.

And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:

“A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,

and birds came and ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.

It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,

and when the sun rose it was scorched,

and it withered for lack of roots.

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.

But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,

a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

***

FOCUS AND LITURGY OF THE WORD

Growing up in the Midwest, farming analogies were a common if not ubiquitous part of daily conversation.  Although my urban family did not farm, my mother's family (parents and brothers) did.  Many, many friends at my undergraduate college in central Nebraska were rural kids, and if their parents didn't farm or ranch, they lived in a town where agriculture was the economic engine.  "How 'bout this weather" OR "Sure is dry" OR "We could sure use some rain" were almost expected in the early part of any conversation.  The Missouri River Valley is fertile farm land.  The Platte River feeds irrigation circles throughout the state.  The plains, carved out by glaciers, are flat and well accommodate row crops, and the rolling hills are dry, but suited for cattle grazing.  So, it would have been difficult for me to escape a basic understanding of farming, even if I'd wanted to (which I didn't).  I love being out in the beauty of wide-open spaces, of Midwest agriculture in all it's forms, the symmetry of the rows, the promise of future food or sunflowers.  

I came to understand early that all soil is not created equal, and was taught that there can be "bad seeds" in the world (sometimes a reference to a person who couldn't seem to avoid trouble, but also describing a seed packet for flowers or veggies that just got too old, or too wet).  So, one could plant bad seed in the best soil ever, and it wouldn't thrive.  Or, one could plant great seed in the wrong spot and the same thing would happen.  So, today's Gospel lesson, when I first heard it some 60 years ago, really "stuck".  For a change, the lesson made immediate sense, had context in my world, and could be immediately applied in my family, in our small flower beds.  Jesus wanted us to know that each of us were good seed, and could be - although not guaranteed - blessed with good soil.  Sometimes our environments, or the friends we choose, or the addictions we face, or the difficulties we endure feel like the footpath, the rocky ground, or the patch of thorns where seeds fail.  But make no mistake, every one of us is a gift from God: every one of us is Good Seed.

Every year, when I'm gardening each spring, I spontaneously and without conscious effort begin to hum or sing from the hymn "Lord, let my heart be Good Soil."  It makes me smile every time, because it just effortlessly happens!  The hymn sprung forth again today, when I read this Gospel lesson.  It reminded me to think beyond the obvious lesson that each of us is considered by God to be Good Seed; to also accept that Jesus was inviting us to accept our obligation to each other to create an environment that is Good Soil.  A space of peace and love and acceptance and grace.  If MY heart is open and loving and full of God's light, and I share that light with you, then I've created Good Soil in which you can thrive and grow.  

I was SO blessed to have such a tender gardener, in the person of my Grandmother.  She (along with my grandfather, who died when I was only 5) was both Good Seed and Good Soil.  Grandmother Alice did everything she could to tend her eight children, her 23 little grand-seeds, and every other soul she touched, so we could sprout and thrive.  What a blessing to have had her!  What a blessing to be able to pass on, in small measure, her tender care!  What a grace to accept God's gift of being Good Seed, and to heed God's call to be Good Soil.  Amen.

***

SAINT OF THE DAY

Saint Sharbel Makhlouf

(May 8, 1828 – December 24, 1898)

Saint Sharbel Makhlouf’s Story

Although this saint never traveled far from the Lebanese village of Beka-Kafra where he was born, his influence has spread widely.

Joseph Zaroun Maklouf was raised by an uncle because his father, a mule driver, died when Joseph was only three. At the age of 23, Joseph joined the Monastery of St. Maron at Annaya, Lebanon, and took the name Sharbel in honor of a second-century martyr. He professed his final vows in 1853, and was ordained six years later.

Following the example of the fifth-century Saint Maron, Sharbel lived as a hermit from 1875, until his death. His reputation for holiness prompted people to seek him to receive a blessing and to be remembered in his prayers. He followed a strict fast and was very devoted to the Blessed Sacrament. When his superiors occasionally asked him to administer the sacraments to nearby villages, Sharbel did so gladly.

He died in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Christians and non-Christians soon made his tomb a place of pilgrimage and of cures. Pope Paul VI beatified Sharbel in 1965, and canonized him 12 years later.

Reflection

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John Paul II often said that the Church has two lungs—East and West—and it must learn to breathe using both of them. Remembering saints like Sharbel helps the Church to appreciate both the diversity and unity present in the Catholic Church. Like all the saints, Sharbel points us to God and invites us to cooperate generously with God’s grace, no matter what our situation in life may be. As our prayer life becomes deeper and more honest, we become more ready to make that generous response.

***

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

[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

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

[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...

-----------------------------

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, Sun July 21st, 2024 ... The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Reading 1

----------

Jer 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds

who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,

says the LORD.

Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,

against the shepherds who shepherd my people:

You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.

You have not cared for them,

but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock

from all the lands to which I have driven them

and bring them back to their meadow;

there they shall increase and multiply.

I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them

so that they need no longer fear and tremble;

and none shall be missing, says the LORD.

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,

when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;

as king he shall reign and govern wisely,

he shall do what is just and right in the land.

In his days Judah shall be saved,

Israel shall dwell in security.

This is the name they give him:

"The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm

---------------

Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

In verdant pastures he gives me repose;

beside restful waters he leads me;

he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley

I fear no evil; for you are at my side

with your rod and your staff

that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me

in the sight of my foes;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me

all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

for years to come.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading 2

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Eph 2:13-18

Brothers and sisters:

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have become near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he who made both one

and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,

abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,

that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,

thus establishing peace,

and might reconcile both with God,

in one body, through the cross,

putting that enmity to death by it.

He came and preached peace to you who were far off

and peace to those who were near,

for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Alleluia

--------

Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

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Mk 6:30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus

and reported all they had done and taught.

He said to them,

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

People were coming and going in great numbers,

and they had no opportunity even to eat.

So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.

They hastened there on foot from all the towns

and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,

his heart was moved with pity for them,

for they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things.

***

FOCUS AND LITURGY OF THE WORD

Perhaps you’ve had this experience: You’re feeling exhausted and burnt out. So, you’re looking forward to some rest during your annual vacation. But when you arrive to your favorite vacation spot, one of the kids falls ill. And now you must play nurse for the week. Or your boss calls with an emergency at work. And now you must take time to work remotely. Or the car breaks down and you need to take it in for repairs. You must postpone your much needed rest out of necessity.

Something similar happens to Jesus and his disciples in our Gospel reading. The disciples return from their missionary journeys, reporting to Jesus all they had done. Jesus perceives their need for some rest and so they set off in a boat to a deserted place. Unfortunately, the people figured out where they were going and arrived there first. Instead of dismissing the crowd, Jesus’ heart is moved with pity “for they were like sheep without a shepherd.”

This shepherd imagery echoes our first reading in which Jeremiah reminds us how the kings in the royal line of David failed as shepherds for the flock of Israel. And so, because Israel belongs to God, the divine shepherd steps forward to care for the flock. God does not rest. Instead, God continually cares for us. Likewise, Jesus does not cancel his “vacation” and continues to teach the crowd who are hungry for spiritual food.

We are not God or Jesus. We do need rest. But we also need to allow our hearts to be moved with pity. In Jesus’ time, shepherds worked 24/7 with little time for rest, always on the lookout for a lost or sick sheep or for a threatening predator. Balancing our own needs against the needs of our neighbors requires careful discernment. It also requires trust in Christ who, as our second reading reminds us, is the source of our peace. Jesus provides us the life and energy to serve others. Jesus gives us the strength to cancel our “vacation” when the need arises. And it is in Jesus where we can find true rest.

***

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

[primesafarisandtoursafrica]

Tourist attractions in Kampala city – Uganda safari news

Kampala City is among the popular cities in the region of East Africa and as a result, it has become a point of interest for political, business and leisure travelers including Uganda Safari tour undertakers from all over the world.

At times, people who come for conferences, trade shows and political missions always have some free time with them which they can spend excitingly as they explore the Uganda tour attractions around Kampala City.

The attractions include sites of political, economic, religious and socio-cultural significance and thus present diversity that serves a range of travelers’ interests.  Talk of religious places like Namugongo Martyrs Shrine where a count of 45 converts were killed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda, Gadhafi Mosque which is the second largest on the African continent, Namirembe Cathedral and Rubaga Cathedral – the head of Anglican and Catholic faith respectively and Baha’i Temple which is the only temple of the Baha’i faith in Africa, the Kampala city tour offers rich religious experience that gives a summary of Uganda’s religion.

Besides the religious attractions, the city features important cultural sites such as the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Buganda, the Kasubi tombs which is the burial ground for the Kings of Buganda proclaimed a world heritage site by UNESCO and the Uganda Museum not forgetting a range of art and craft centres across the city.

Sites of educational significance such as the Great Makerere University which is the largest in East Africa is within 5km reach from the city centre while the Ugandan Parliament is also at a walkable distance.

To those interested in exploring the typical hustle and bustle of Kampala city, the walk through the down town can be rewarding. Walking through Owino market – the second largest second hand market in Africa, the taxi parks and Kikuubo offer a lifetime experience.

Travellers on Safaris in Uganda can consider exploring the city at the start or at the end of their countryside safari.

[primesafarisafricaandtours]

Tourist attractions in Kampala city – Uganda safari news

Kampala City is among the popular cities in the region of East Africa and as a result, it has become a point of interest for political, business and leisure travelers including Uganda Safari tour undertakers from all over the world.

At times, people who come for conferences, trade shows and political missions always have some free time with them which they can spend excitingly as they explore the Uganda tour attractions around Kampala City.

The attractions include sites of political, economic, religious and socio-cultural significance and thus present diversity that serves a range of travelers’ interests.  Talk of religious places like Namugongo Martyrs Shrine where a count of 45 converts were killed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda, Gadhafi Mosque which is the second largest on the African continent, Namirembe Cathedral and Rubaga Cathedral – the head of Anglican and Catholic faith respectively and Baha’i Temple which is the only temple of the Baha’i faith in Africa, the Kampala city tour offers rich religious experience that gives a summary of Uganda’s religion.

Besides the religious attractions, the city features important cultural sites such as the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Buganda, the Kasubi tombs which is the burial ground for the Kings of Buganda proclaimed a world heritage site by UNESCO and the Uganda Museum not forgetting a range of art and craft centres across the city.

Sites of educational significance such as the Great Makerere University which is the largest in East Africa is within 5km reach from the city centre while the Ugandan Parliament is also at a walkable distance.

To those interested in exploring the typical hustle and bustle of Kampala city, the walk through the down town can be rewarding. Walking through Owino market – the second largest second hand market in Africa, the taxi parks and Kikuubo offer a lifetime experience.

Travellers on Safaris in Uganda can consider exploring the city at the start or at the end of their countryside safari.

[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.