Kenyan Pilgrims to Mark Ugandan Martyrs Day

May 30, 2024152 views0

Kenyan Pilgrims to Mark Ugandan Martyrs Day

2024-05-30T08:47:15+01:00

By Marie

Ugandan Martyrs Day this year will draw millions of Catholics and other Christians from across Africa.One group has already begun its more than 200-mile pilgrimage to arrive for the yearly event on June 3, in Kampala, Uganda, Kenya.Pilgrims from the Nzoia Deanery of the Diocese of Kakamega are travelling to Uganda’s Namugongo Shrine, where the event will take place, bringing with them various prayer intentions among them, “praying that more people may embrace, in faith and fidelity, the call of God in their respective lives,” according to CNA’s news partner in Africa.The pilgrims will cover 18-25 miles each day.The Namugongo Shrine in Uganda is one of the most popular sites on the northeast edge of the Archdiocese of Kampala. It is the site where St. Charles Lwanga and his companions were burned alive by the order of King Mwanga II of the Buganda kingdom.The Ugandan Martyrs’ Day dates back to the first decade of Christian presence in the East African nation when 45 men between the ages of 14 and 50 years old were killed between Jan. 31, 1885, and Jan. 27, 1887, because they would not renounce their faith.Also Read: Tauren Wells Releases New Versions of “Take It All Back”