Charles Lwanga (1 January 1860 – 3 June 1886) was a Ugandan convert to the Catholic Church who was martyred with a group of his peers and is revered as a saint.
Charles Lwanga (1 January 1860 – 3 June 1886) was a Ugandan convert to the Catholic Church who was martyred with a group of his peers and is revered as a saint.
Lwanga was born in the Kingdom of Buganda, the central and southern part of modern Uganda, and served as chief of the royal pages and later major-domo in the court of King Mwanga II of Buganda. He was baptised by Pere Giraud on 15 November 1885.
In fear of losing the overbearing power he had on his subjects to a Christian worldview, King Mwanga II insisted that Christian converts abandon their new faith and executed many Anglicans and Catholics between 1885 and 1887, including Lwanga and other officials in the royal court.
Reflection written by Jane Onoo, parishioner of the Nigerian Catholic Chaplaincy England & Wales.
I am indeed glad and grateful to be talking about the life of one of the great Saints of Africa.
St. Charles Lwanga was one of the 22 Uganda Martyrs killed between the years (1887-1889) AD. Most people referred to him as prefect or a leader of the 22 Martyrs. He was a great leader who led from the front. St. Charles Lwanga was a page boy who was working at the King’s palace of the kingdom of Buganda (KABAKA) when the French first catholic missionaries arrived in Uganda in 1879. He was the first to be Baptised and after baptism, because he could read and write, he became a Catechist and started giving instructions to the young boys in the palace. Thus, even when the king was told the new ways was becoming a threat to his power, St. Charles refused to give up and was really willing to die for the sake of the gospel. Fulfilling his life purpose mattered to him more than death, what a great Shepard, death never threatens the man who discovered his life purpose. St. Charles Lwanga surrendered himself to God when he was burned alive while singing and praising God.
The life of St. Charles inspires courage and challenges us in many ways. We should walk in the footsteps of St. Charles and serve God and humanity in the vineyard of the Lord without looking back and be ready to surrender our self to the will of God. Each one of us is called to holiness. All the Baptised are called to share in the work of the mission meaning a venture that required all the members of the church. The love of Christ which was so much in him was demonstrated by sharing with his colleagues through the gospel.
The life of St. Charles LWANGA teaches us everyday to live our lives with dedication, we should be an inspiration to others. Me as a mother should lead by example to my children and those around me. I should remain ordinarily faithful in my everyday life. The gift that God gave me should be translated in doing what can benefit others while I remain simple, humble, and deep in faith. To walk in the footsteps of St. Charles Lwanga, I love to quote this powerful African proverb: He who follows the track of an elephant never gets wet from the dew on the bushes. St. Charles is one of the many elephants who have gone before us.
The blood of the martyrs is like a mustard seed when planted it produced and yield so much fruits and the Catholic church in Uganda are the fruit of the martyrs. Unless a grain of wheat shall fall upon the ground and die it remains but a single grain with no life, John 12:24. St. Charles has lit a candle in the Catholic church which has never stopped burning in Uganda and throughout the world. He touched so many lives with his example. People can learn true spirit of love, humility, and service to the people from his good example.
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