What Is the Best Day of Annual Gathering in Uganda / 3rd June Martyrs Day? Every 3rd June its renowned as Martyrs day –Christian celebration day in commemoration of the 45 pillars who died because of their faith in God; Furthermore, annual gathering day for Uganda’s religions and all races of the world come together here on that day. More so, 3rd June Martyrs day is a national public holiday, a day which commemorates the 45 martyrs both catholic and Anglican who were killed on the order of Kabaka Mwanga 11, a king of Buganda who was on reign between 1885 and 1887. These 45 pillars were killed because of their faith.
When it comes to its history /history of Uganda Martyrs’ Day
Historically, King Mwanga began to reign in 1884 and later on meet up with foreign missionaries who become a great threat to his kingdom and power base. He had to expel them and threatened converts to renounce their new faith or face execution.
There were 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts to Christianity who then executed between January 31st 1885 and January 27th in 1887. Then on 3rd June 1886 ,32 young men were exiled to be burnt to death because of their faith they had raise up from the King’s laws and because of their refusal to renounce Christianity. They combined both of them Anglican and catholic converts.
Mwanga’s actions led to a British backed revolution which lead to the overthrow of the king in 1888. So Mwanga had negotiated with the British and in exchange for handing over some of his sovereignty to the British East Africa Company, the British helped to replace Mwanga to the throne in 1889. Further note, he was finally deposed in 1897. But when he was in exile he was converted to an Anglican.
Amazingly, each year martyr’s day attracts millions of pilgrims to the area with many coming from beyond Uganda.
Note this, the catholic church loved the 22 catholic martyrs in 1920 and canonized them as saint of the universal church in 1964.
In 2015 ,it was a great annual day of the ceremony as the Pope Francis visited Namugongo to celebrate the Holy Mass. Before the Mass, pope Francis paid a visit to the Anglican Martyrs at the Anglican shrine, What Is the Best Day of Annual Gathering in Uganda / 3rd June Martyrs Day?.
More facts about annual 3rd June in Uganda
Why is 3rd June Important to Christians in Uganda
This can be a celebration feast day that commemorates the 45 pillars every June 3rd a day who were killed. Christians always gather on that day in their honor.
More facts about the martyr’s day, Christianity pages under Mukasa’s guidance turned into victim, of Mwanga having learned that they had received religious instructions from the page Denis Ssebuggwa something which annoyed the King and he decided to order that all youth to be arrested. Then other religious leaders like Charles Lwanga, Mukasa’s successor, they secretly baptized those boys who had only been prepared for baptism. The following day were herded away to the village of Namugongo. Unfortunately, the three of them namely; Pontian Ngondwe, a soldier and the royal servants Athanasius Bazzekuketta and Gonzaga Gonza were murdered en-route. Due to that incident, all the survivors, superior of the Roman Catholic mission to Uganda were imprisoned for a week. However, the pages who were burned alive on 3rd June -1886 were; Ambrose Kibuka, Anatole Kiriggwajjo, Achilles, kiwanuka, Mukasa Kiriwawanvu, Adolphus Mukasa Ludigo, Gyavir and Kizito. As well as some soldiers and officials like Bruno Serunkuma, James Buzabaliawo and Luke Banabakintu were martyred with them.
King Mwanga never stopped on persecuting and destroying the protestant and Roman Catholic missionaries, but he continued from where he had stopped. The victims were Mathias Mulumba, assistant judge to a provincial chief –Andrew Kaggwa, chief of kigowa and Noe Mawaggali a Roman Catholic leader as well as page Jean Marie Muzeyi was also executed on January 27 -1887. All this make up a true information about the Uganda national day –feast day ,which is held every year on 3rd June, where millions of people come in different corners of the world to celebrate this day of the 45 pillars who gave in themselves to be burnt because of their strong faith in God.
