Namugongo holy water to be treated ahead of June 3 Martyrs' Day
A pilgrim drinks ‘Holy Water’ from a well at the Anglican Martyrs’ site at Namugongo on June 1, 2024. PHOTO/FRANK BAGUMA
What you need to know:
- Whether it’s treated or not, the water’s spiritual value remains the same.
With just days to the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations, the Catholic Church has invited the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to treat the holy water at Namugongo Shrine to enhance its safety for the thousands of pilgrims expected to collect it.
Each year, on June 3, millions of pilgrims from across Uganda and beyond gather at the Namugongo Catholic Shrine to honour the 45 Christian converts — 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic — executed for their faith between 1885 and 1887. Many of the faithful believe the spring-fed water near the shrine has healing and spiritual powers.
The scramble for the holy water peaks around Martyrs Day, with pilgrims eager to fetch and carry it home. Despite warnings from health authorities and the Church that the water is not safe for drinking unless boiled, many pilgrims continue to drink it untreated.
Speaking to Monitor, Mr Francis Muwonge, the Catholic Church administrator at the shrine, confirmed that NWSC will treat the water this week, primarily to make it cleaner for general use, not drinking.
“Last November, NWSC desilted the lake and repaired some of its infrastructure. They are returning to treat the water, but it should still not be consumed without boiling,” Mr Muwonge said.
He added that while the Church has considered purifying and bottling the water for safe drinking, those plans remain under review. Despite this caution, some pilgrims believe the treated water drawn from the taps is already safe. Mr Gideon Twongirwe, a pilgrim found at the lakeside, insisted he has been drinking the holy water for years without falling sick.
Testimonies
“I’ve never boiled it, and it has never made me ill,” Mr Twongirwe said. “It’s cleaner now, especially since NWSC cleaned the lake. It even helps me in business — I sprinkle some in my shop to chase bad luck,” he added. Others use the water for bathing or spiritual rituals. Ms Teopisita Najemba said she mixes the water with her bathwater while praying, and she attributes her healing to the ritual.
“The water works, but you must have faith and pray,” she said. Some, like Ms Grace Nakintu, worry that treating the water might affect its holiness. “Purifying it could take away its spiritual power,” she said. However, Mr Muwonge dismissed this notion. “The holiness is not in the dirt,” he said.
“Whether it’s treated or not, the water’s spiritual value remains the same. What matters is the blessing and your faith.”
Looking back
The lake at Namugongo, dug between 1954 and 1980 by parishioners led by Msgr Lawrence Mbwega, surrounds the altar where mass is held.
It marks the site where the martyrs’ bodies were believed to have been disposed of. Pilgrims collect water from it, convinced of its healing powers.
