Christians walk to mark Martyrs Day

Holy walk. The Bishop of Hoima Diocese Vincent Kirabo leads believers in the Walk of Faith last Saturday ahead of Martyrs Day celebrations. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA

What you need to know:

  • Martyrs Day. Every June 3, Christians from around the world pay homage to the Uganda Martyrs who were killed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II.

KAMPALA.

More than 500 pilgrims from different corners last Saturday participated in ‘The Walk of Faith’ to mark Uganda Martyrs Day.
According to Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, the walk is part of the spiritual preparation for the Martyrs Day Celebrations on June 3.
The ‘Walk of Faith’ was flagged off at Munyonyo Martyrs shrine by Archbishop Dr Lwanga and the first Deputy Prime Minister, Gen Moses Ali, who represented the Prime Minister Mr Ruhakana Rugunda.
The symbolic pilgrimage kicked-off at about 9.00am from Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine with a word of prayer and ended at St. Matia Mulumba Parish in Old Kampala.
“The symbolic pilgrimage walk under the theme; “ Stand firm in the faith that we have been taught” (Colossina 2:7) which calls on the faithful and pilgrims to be strong witnesses in faith, personal lives, families, places of work and all areas that their daily lives influence,” Archbishop Lwanga said.
The pilgrims will make two stopovers at strategic places for a moment of prayer, before proceeding to their final destination at St. Matia Mulumba Parish where they had a 30 minute health break to freshen up and afterwards had a celebration of Holy Mass at 12.00pm at the same venue, presided over by the Bishop of Hoima Diocese Rev Father Vincent Kirabo to conclude the walk.
Hoima Diocese, Uganda Episcopal Conference and Uganda Tourism Board led the symbolic pilgrimage also known as “The Walk of Faith”.
“This spiritual journey has been organised to enable our Christians today experience the Martyrs’ pain and their last moments on earth in a commemorative walk,” said Archbishop Lwanga.
Archbishop Lwanga said the walk began from Munyonyo as the place where King Mwanga II made the decision to begin killing Christians for their faith in Jesus Christ and that it was also at Munyonyo where the first three martyrs, namely, St. Denis Ssebuggwawo, St. Andrew Kaggwa and St. Pontiano Ngondwe were killed on May 26, 1886.
“.....And Munyonyo is also the place where majority of the martyrs started their two-day, painful but inspiring journey to Namugongo to face their death but some were killed along the way, while the others were burnt alive in Namugongo on June 3,” he added.
Bishop Vincent Kirabo urged Christians to observe the novena that started on May 25, and ending on June 2.