Home » Destinations » Uganda

 

Uganda: Sanctuary of the Martyrs at Namugongo

 

The History of Namugongo:

In 1885, the ruler, King Mwanga of Buganda, persecuted the Christians in the area, who chose to worship God rather than pay homage to him. Many of them were young men who had recently converted, and refused to renounce their faith. There were 23 Anglican and 24 Catholic martyrs among them.

Of the twenty-four Catholics that were martyred between 1885 and 1887, some were hacked to pieces, while thirteen others were burnt alive here at Namugongo.

The twenty-two martyrs were beatified by Pope Benedict XV on 6th June 1920 and canonized by Pope Paul VI on 18th October 1964.

The other two Catholic martyrs were speared to death in Paimol, Gulu in the North of Uganda in October 1918. They were beatified by Pope John Paul II on 20th October 2002.

 

About the Sanctuary of the Martyrs at Namugongo, Uganda:

Uganda Martyrs ShrineAll of these martyrs are remembered here at the Shrine. In addition, the Basilica next to the Shrine offers Masses.

June 3rd is the date that the martyrs are celebrated. Thousands of people walk many kilometers to reach the Shrine, often camping out through the night. If you can visit then, it is an experience not to be forgotten.

 

 

Wulman83, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Traveling to Namugongo, Uganda:

Namugongo is located approximately 10 miles (15 kilometers), by road, northeast of the Kampala, Uganda’s capital.

Address: Namugongo, Kampala, Uganda

GPS coordinates: 0° 23′ 6.2232” N, 32° 38′ 51.0936” E

Tel: +256 (312) 274581 (Office hours)     Mobile: +256 (712) 325196 (Mobile – Shrine Rector)

email: info@ugandamartyrsshrine.org.ug

Click here for the official website of the Uganda Martyrs Shrine.

Click here to find hotels in nearby Kampala, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor

⇐ Back to Catholic travel destinations

Leave a Comment