Christians should embrace spiritual being of martyrs 

Every  June 3, Christians in Uganda celebrate the Uganda Martyrs at the Namugongo shrine. The number of pilgrims has always been overwhelming until the outbreak of Covid-19. Christians could not access the shrine in Namugongo due to restrictions put in place to control the spread of the  disease.

The usual pilgrimage did not happen this year. As is the norm, many people use the Martyrs Day celebrations to throng worship places to merry-make, and feast.  

According to Fr Vincent Lubega, the parish priest at Namugongo Catholic shrine, Christians and all the faithful were right to heed to the call and stay home on June 3. He said just a handful of believers were allowed to access churches as is required by the standard operating procedures that were issued by the Ministry of Health.

However, Rev. Fr.Vincent Lubega says Christians can observe this season of the martyrs in absence of the physical presence at the pilgrimage centre in Namugongo. He says away from the church, Christians can stay home and pray for the Uganda Martyrs because they also need our prayers and by doing so they will intercede for us better.

“We should not forget that there are other martyrs who lost their lives before and after June 3rd but we remember all of them on that day, in praying for grace so that God can have mercy unto them,” Fr Lubega adds.

Fr Muwonge who has devoted time to research about the Uganda Martyrs, says that on June 3, Christians are expected to envision life as martyrs and reflect on their actions, for the past and present remain a constant in faith. He says this can be done even in our homes or our village churches and not necessarily at Namugongo.

“It is a feast day. In the Catholic Church, we celebrate feast days and commemorate them and in this case, June 3 is the day the Uganda Martyrs were killed. We gather to celebrate the feast of the Uganda Martyrs, in their honour and we can do this everywhere we are not only in Namugongo or Munyonyo. That is the day the majority of them were killed,” he explains.  

In celebrating, Msgr Gerald Kalumba adds that we make the martyrs present in our lives.

“We do not simply celebrate them as history but as real life. That is why we go and participate in the celebration and become the modern witnesses but it’s no longer possible for everyone. He adds that Christians should carry on the lives of the martyrs. Their lives should remain relevant in our lives. It is not an event to drink and enjoy pork and neither is it about tourism. Celebration of Uganda Martyrs in Namugongo is an event of life.”

According to Fr Leonard Olobo, the director of Holy Cross Family ministries East Africa, a catholic-based organisation, even if there is no big gathering people can have moments to do personal prayers and in this case they can pray for the intercession of the Uganda Martyrs. He says there is of course joy in a bigger crowd and praying together but where it’s not possible, that doesn’t kill the spirit of the martyrs because the spirit of the Uganda martyrs is the seed of the Christian faith, Catholic Church and religious faith in Uganda. Martyrdom entails both Catholic and Protestants and even some Muslims.

Therefore, in the current situation where there are limitations, people can still celebrate the Uganda Martyrs in spirit. People can also go through the novena leading to the celebration and in all these are actions people can take to keep them awake in the spirit of the Uganda Martyrs even when not physical at the pilgrimage centre.

He adds that the Uganda Martyrs are also a result of the long tradition of people following Christ. Even without shedding blood, Fr Olobo says that a true Christian is a martyr and a witness.

Even if it is not being a witness by pouring blood, (they are) real martyrs in the sense of living a true Christian life especially in Uganda today.