500-member choir to animate Martyrs Day Catholic celebration

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Lugazi Catholic Diocese, which is hosting this year's Uganda Martyrs Day celebration at Namungongo on June 5, has revealed that proceedings at the shrine will be animated by a 500-member choir.

They will include singers, dancers, and organists, Vicar General Msgr Richard Kayondo said on Wednesday (April 30).

Typically, these celebrations — also simultaneously conducted at the Anglican side of Namugongo — honour the courage and faith of the 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican martyrs canonised six decades ago.

Lugazi Diocese has promised vibrant liturgical services, cultural performances, and spiritual reflections on June 3.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims — including those walking from far and near — throng to Namugongo to honour the martyrs.

Parish Priest of Nkokonjeru, Fr Prof John C. Maviiri (right) interacts with Fr Pius Nnunda (middle) and another after the national preparation meeting at Catholic Secretariat at Nsambya on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (PHOTO BY JULIET ANNA LUKWAGO)

Ahead of the holiday, a national preparation meeting was held at the Catholic Secretariat at Nsambya on Wednesday.

Msgr John Baptist Kauta (secretariat general of Episcopal Conference), Fr Godfrey Mboowa (diocese pastoral coordinator) and Gervase Ndyanabo (head of laity Uganda and Vision Group deputy managing director) and priests from Lugazi were among those in attendance.

Msgr Richard Kayondo, who revealed the budget for organising the celebration is sh2.4b, said the members of the large choir have been drawn from all parishes in Lugazi Diocese.

This year's biblical theme is: “Oh Lord, let me see again, I your pilgrim of hope" — (Mark 10:51)

'All eyes on us'

The Martyrs Day celebrations are usually organised on a rotational basis according to four ecclesiastical provinces of Catholic celebrations.

Kayondo said the budget is covering pastoral and liturgical work, public address system, transport, banners, decoration, catering, pilgrims’ accommodation, medical, protocol, water and sanitation, as well as feeding the choir and training them.

"All eyes will be on us, the chosen diocese," he said, urging support from all stakeholders.

Health workers will be deployed at Namugongo to attend to pilgrims.

“We wrote to different hospitals and health centres that can help us with their ambulances. And we are still requesting more. Those who are willing to help us can come and talk to the health committee," said Kayondo.

The foot pilgrims from the hosting diocese will start their journey — a distance of around 45 kilometres — on May 30 and arrive at Namungongo on June 1.

The Martyrs Novena will start on May 25 until June 2. This will be coordinated by the Namugongo Shrine, and all Catholics in their parishes and diocese are urged to recite it. 

"We have organised the schools pilgrimage to Namugongo on May 30," said Kayondo.

Ponsiano Ngondwe, one of the Uganda Martyrs, hailed from Bulemu in present-day Lugazi Diocese.

Established in 1997, this diocese was carved out of Kampala Archdiocese, with its first bishop being Matthias Ssekamaanya.

Bishop Christopher Kakooza, the second and current bishop of Lugazi, was installed on in January 2015.