Today is the memorial of St. Charles Lwanga from Uganda. He and his 21 companions were martyred in 1886, when they refused to renounce their Christian faith and resisted the sexually immoral activities commanded by the ruler of the Bagandan people, King Mwanga II.
Born in Uganda, St. Lwanga first learned about Christ when he began working in the royal household as the leader of the royal pages. Eventually, his teacher, Joseph Mukaso, was martyred and Charles Lwanga requested his own baptism that very night.
When he and his companions angered the king with their resistance, they were questioned and, refusing to recant, they were burned to death.
St. Charles Lwanga was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964.
On this memorial, let us pray for those who have died and for those who are suffering during the outbreak of Ebola that is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and now Uganda. Let us also pray for courage and strength for medical staff in the impacted areas and for peace for their families.
St. Charles Lwanga, please pray for the people of your homeland.
Image: “Uganda” (CC BY 2.0) by flowcomm
Ariane Sroubek is a writer, school psychologist and mother to two children here on earth. Prior to converting to Catholicism, she completed undergraduate studies in Bible and Theology at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She then went on to obtain her doctorate in School and Child Clinical Psychology. Ariane’s writing is inspired by her faith, daily life experiences and education. She is currently writing a women's fiction novel and a middle-grade mystery series. Her non-fiction book, Raising Sunshine: A Guide to Parenting Through the Aftermath of Infant Death is available on Amazon. More of her work can be found at https://mysustaininggrace.com.
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