Mbarara to lead Martyrs celebrations this year
Archbishop of Mbarara Arch Diocese Paul Bakyenga (R) with the pastoral coordinator of this year’s Uganda Martyr’s celebrations, Rev. Fr. Leo Tinkatumire, address a press conference in Kampala yesterday. The church leaders said they need Shs650m to host the annual event. PHOTO BY GEOFFREY SSERUYANGE
What you need to know:
Archbishop Paul K. Bakyenga makes the announcement and calls for financial support to run the event.
Kampala
The Archdiocese of Mbarara will lead this year’s Uganda Martyrs celebrations to be held at Namugongo on June 3.
The annual event is in honour of the 22 young men who were killed by Kabaka Mwanga II for refusing to renounce their faith. Archbishop Paul K. Bakyenga made the announcement yesterday at the Uganda Catholic Secretariat in Kampala, and said the support and enthusiasm from Mbarara residents and all Ugandans has been “overwhelming.”
“Our information and publicity team is hunting for the best public address system to allow people to watch the celebrations from all corners of the venue and we guarantee the best liturgical celebration on that day,” the Archbishop said.
The Catholic Church honours the martyrs at Namugongo, where a shrine commemorates the spot where they were burnt alive. More than one million pilgrims are expected to journey to the shrine from around the world. “Some of them will fly into the country, some drive, others take public transportation, but a big number will choose to walk from neighboring countries like Kenya, Sudan, DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania and all dioceses in our country,” Archbishop Bakyenga said.
Such an enormous event requires considerable planning and preparation, but the Archbishop said that the Archdiocese of Mbarara is ready for the challenge.
About Shs50 million has been raised so far in Kampala, according to Mr Gervase Ndyanabo, the chairperson of the organising committee, “but we have just started.”
Archbishop Bakyenga urged “all God loving and generous people to give us a hand in raising this money,” so that the celebrations are successful.
To facilitate donations, the Archdiocese opened a bank account in the Mbarara branch of Centenary Bank with account number, 5020446201, and will publicly list all donations so that donors can verify their gifts.
