Ugandans take Martyrs' Day to US

Jun 06, 2017

“We exported this culture to the US. Many people here didn’t know about the Uganda martyrs, but now they do."

PIC: Ronald Kabuye Ssebunya, chair of the Uganda Catholic Community Boston. (Courtesy photo)

UGANDA MARTYRS' DAY BOSTON


Ugandans from different districts across the country jammed Namugongo road last Saturday, as they thronged Namugongo Catholic and Nakiyanja Anglican Shrines, to celebrate the Uganda Martyrs' Day, marked every June 3.

As the celebrations went on in Uganda, Ugandans living and working in the US saved the day for June 11, as they are expected to gather at the Archdiocese of Boston in Boston, Massachusetts for this year's belated Martyr's Day celebrations.

"We exported this culture to the US. Many people here didn't know about the Uganda martyrs, but now they do. The Uganda martyrs are some of the few saints that we have in Africa," Ronald Kabuye Ssebunya, who chairs the Uganda Catholic Community Boston (UCCB), told New Vision in an interview.

Boston-based Kabuye said the celebrations, due on June 11, will attract Catholic and Anglican Ugandans living in the US and others outside the US.

Belated celebrations

Explaining why they picked June 11 to mark the day, Kabuye said they can only mark the day on a weekend - when most of the Ugandans living in US are off work, since the day is not recognized as a public holiday by America.

"The very reason we don't celebrate it on June 3, is because it doesn't come necessarily on a weekend. Here people work hard and it is not gazetted as a public holiday on the US calendar, like it is in Uganda."

 Robert Muhiirwa, the Bishop of Fort Portal Diocese, is expected to be the main celebrant on the day.

According to Kabuye, about 800 Ugandans living in the US are expected to throng Boston for this year's celebrations.

Emmanuel Wasswa Kivumbi, the chairman of the organizing committee of Uganda Martyrs' Day Boston, 2017, they will use the day to pray to the martyrs to intercede for immigrants, refugees and the marginalized people across the world.

"The Uganda Catholic Community in Boston is proud to be part of the faithful throughout the world that remember and celebrate the treasured Ugandan martyrs  for their bravery and ultimate sacrifice for what they believed in," said Wasswa.

He noted that remembering the martyrs inspires the faithful with conviction amidst challenges that make them lose hope in humanity.

On her part Harriet Kasozi, the head of vocations to marriage, said that during the celebrations, Ugandan Catholic and Anglican families living in the US will come together in prayer.

"Uganda Martyrs' Day is an occasion where we have an opportunity as Ugandan Catholic families living in the US to come together and pray together. During the celebrations, couples will take pride in serving even the bigger UCCB families," she said.

Kasozi advised the marrieds to emulate the Uganda martyrs by being faithful to their partners. Prior to the celebrations, a number of activities have been lined up for the Catholic community in Boston.

According to Gloria Namatovu, who is in charge of children affairs at UCCB, as part of activities to mark Uganda Martyrs' Day Boston, they are set to conduct novenas among other liturgical preparations.

"We shall have the children participate in the nine-day communal sacrifices mass and Uganda martyrs novena prior to the day of celebrations. The children look forward to this day where they will do liturgical dances," she said.

During the celebrations, they plan to teach the children more about the Uganda martyrs among other things related to their faith. During last year's celebrations, six couples were blessed with Holy Matrimony (marriage).

 

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