Catholic Church unveils religious tourist site in Luweero

Bishops and guests bless St Kizito Shrines at Waluleta in Luweero District on Sunday. PHOTO BY DAN WANDERA

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Kasana-Luweero Bishop Paul Ssemogerere, Kiyinda-Mityana Bishop Anthony Zziwa, Lugazi Diocese Bishop Christopher Kakooza blessed the new religious tourist site and pilgrims

LUWEERO
The Catholic Church has unveiled St Kizito birth place in Luweero District as one of its religious tourist sites meant to preserve and promote Uganda’s Church history.
Waluleta shrines with a historical Mvule tree shade believed to have been the playing ground for St Kizito, the youngest of the Uganda Martyrs at Kigwe village in Makulubita Sub-county located 7kms West of Wobulenzi Town in Luweero District has been an annual pilgrimage site for the Catholic faithful for the last 20 years according to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kampala and pioneer bishop of Kasana-Luweero Diocese Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga who tracked the site and decreed it for pilgrimage in early 1995.

“During my pastoral tour of the Diocese at its infancy in 1995 as pioneer bishop, I came to learn about this place. We quickly mapped this place by rebuilding the local church in this area and ensuring that the three graves for relatives of St Kizito which were wasting away are rebuilt. Kasana-Luweero Diocese has greatly improved this place to a standard of a religious tourist site,” Dr Lwanga told over 20,000 pilgrims at the unveiling of the shrines on Sunday.

The Catholic Church according to Dr Lwanga cannot deviate from the traditional practices and canon law which clearly prescribe the conduct of priests, deacons including the flock.
“We have a big problem with our people who continue to disregard the church rights in favor of individual perception. We do not own priesthood and prayer but the Catholic Church has its ways enshrined in the canon laws. It is regrettable that some of our friends in the Media have chosen to publish whatever they think about including falsehoods. We have a right to tell our people not to read such material but that is not the way we conduct ourselves,” the top Cleric told pilgrims on Sunday.
The Archbishop revealed that contrarily to reports in sections of the Media, the late Evangelist Mukajanga had visited him begging for forgiveness, a week before his sudden death on Saturday.

“He told me many things and names of people who misled him but had chosen to seek forgiveness. I forgave him and am sure he must be in the right place now,” he added..
Kasana-Luweero Bishop Paul Ssemogerere, Kiyinda-Mityana Bishop Anthony Zziwa, Lugazi Diocese Bishop Christopher Kakooza blessed the new religious tourist site and pilgrims.
St Kizito was baptized on May 26, 1886 and was burnt to death on the orders of King Mwanga at Namugongo on June 3, 1886. In October 1964, he was canonized by Pope Paul VX as one of the Uganda Martyrs.