Lira Catholic Diocese sees off 750 foot pilgrims to Namugongo
More than 750 foot pilgrims receive the blessing as they were being flagged off at Lira Cathedral on Thursday morning. PHOTO BY ISAAC OTWII
What you need to know:
- During the evening mass that ended on Wednesday at 10pm , Bishop Franzelli appealed to all Christians to take this year’s celebrations to renew their faith in God and desist from perceiving their journey as a mere tour to Namugongo.
- The bishop also urged the foot pilgrims to be religious enough and pray for faith renewal and reconciliation that he said has never been achieved.
LIRA. A total of over 750 pilgrims from Lira Catholic Diocese last Thursday set off for Namugongo Martyrs Shrine ahead of this year’s Uganda martyrs celebrations.
The pilgrims comprising manly elderly women and men were flagged off by Bishop Joseph Franzelli of Lira Diocese at exactly 1am.
The bishop asked the pilgrims to stick to their faith throughout the journey as a way of emulating the brevity of the Uganda martyrs.
Between 1885 and 1887, about 45 Christians were killed for their undying faith on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda.
During the evening mass that ended on Wednesday at 10pm, Bishop Franzelli appealed to all Christians to take this year’s celebrations to renew their faith in God and desist from perceiving their journey as a mere tour to Namugongo.
“My dear brothers are sisters; we are starting tonight a journey, a journey of faith. We are pilgrims of faith. I am sending you to represent the whole diocese – all the Christians in Lira Diocese,” he said.
The bishop also urged the foot pilgrims to be religious enough and pray for faith renewal and reconciliation that he said has never been achieved.
“Go and pray for the renewal of faith, love and unity among us because we are one family, we serve one God. Here, state divisions are there and you are aware, so be very religious, for clans, for politics, for religions, we need unity, we need reconciliation, we want peace but apparently we are unable to achieve this one on our own. Let us go and ask the Lord of Uganda Martyrs to give us this gift,” said the Bishop.
