Ugandan Catholics in UK, Ireland celebrate Martyrs' Day

Traveling from different parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the uniting factor for these Catholic Ugandans in the UK was to pay homage to the Uganda martyrs.

Joining in on the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations held every June 3rd 2023 at the Uganda Martyrs Basilica at Namugongo, devoted Ugandan Catholics in the United Kingdom marked the day at Our Lady of Help Christian Church in Kentish Town, North Western London.

Notable Uganda Catholic priest in the UK Father Gerard Balinnya was joined by Ugandan priest co-celebrants that included Father Anthony Musaala at the event whose theme was ‘Do not be afraid! Be courageous witness.’  The mass’s principal celebrant was the Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster Archdiocese Bishop Paul .

Bishop McAleenan said the legacy of the Ugandan martyrs has spread beyond Uganda to as far as the Universal Church, and will never be forgotten.

“The martyrs of Uganda have left a legacy that has never been forgotten not just in Uganda but throughout the Universal Church. We are indebted to people that did not give up. They inspire us to remain true to our faith,” he preached in his homily.

“Their legacy must never be forgotten. If they had not resisted, the Church would not have grown to the extent that it did. Their faith, passion, and bloodshed inspired the growth of the Catholic Church,” he noted.

He challenged the congregation to reflect on what they would have done had they been in the shoes of the Uganda Martyrs.  He noted that one of the best lessons they left for today’s Christians is not giving up on their faith, even in the face of death.

“The world, the devil, all corner people into taking the easier path in the face of difficulty, the path of least resistance. We should make sure we do not take the path of least resistance and we can draw inspiration by looking at our brothers the Uganda Martyrs,” Bishop McAleenan advised.

The Uganda Martyrs comprise 24 Catholics and 23 Anglican converts-to-Christianity in the 18th century Buganda Kingdom who were persecuted on the orders of  Kabaka (King) Mwanga) of Buganda, an absolute monarch whose authority they started rebelling against after converting to Christianity. Protestantism was introduced by the British through the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1877 while Catholicism was brought by the French through the Missionaries of Africa best known as White Fathers in 1879.

Between 31st January 1885 and 27th January 1887 the then Chief Executioner in Buganda Nsubuga Mukajango oversaw the main execution at Namugongo which at the time served as the traditional sacrifice shrine of Buganda Kingdom.  The execution places later became sites where Catholics build and Protestants build memorial churches.

Father Balinnya, an Assistant Priest at St Elphege’s Catholic Church in Wallington, South London, compared the bravery of the martyrs to that of the biblical prophet Jeremiah who refused to renounce his faith even in the face of death.

“The prophet Jeremiah found himself in a very dangerous situation as he stood up for justice. When he was disparaged and denounced, he said: But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero. I have committed my cause to you.” (Jeremiah. 20:10-12).

“The Uganda Martyrs suffered torture of all kinds at the orders of King Mwanga but they were so courageous like Jeremiah,” he preached.

Citing the page’s leader Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe and first to be executed on 11th/11/1885, he said the deceased walked unfettered to his place of death and without hesitation, vowed to die for his religion, his bravery contained in his last words “I am going to die for my faith. You need not be afraid that I will run away!”

Uganda Martyrs Day is hugely celebrated nationally and beyond by millions of Christians in Uganda and beyond. The martyrs were canonised (declared saints) by Pope Paul VI on October 18th, 1964. The Pope later visited Uganda and the Namugongo sites in 1969, the first visit by a pope to Africa.  Pope St John Paul II and Pope Francis also visited the shrines in 1993 and 2015 respectively.

Uganda Martyrs Day has been celebrated in the UK since June 3rd, 1989.  The idea to celebrate it was convinced by a member of a nine-member Ugandan Catholic group in the UK that had registered itself as a community organization to perform at Ugandan functions.

Emmanuel Sseguya the leader of the entity registered as the Uganda Martyrs Catholic Community (UMCC), proposed the addition of Uganda Martyrs Day to its community activities. Since then, Uganda Martyrs Day has been celebrated every June and more than just bringing together Ugandan Catholics living in various areas of the United Kingdom has become a great social gathering for Ugandans.  

After mass, guests converged at the church’s main hall to devour Ugandan meals and feast their eyes on captivating entertainment from traditional dancers making their well-choreographed moves to accompanying Ugandan hits.