Two Ugandans close being declared saints

Oct 22, 2010

LAST Wednesday, thousands of pilgrims from within Uganda and the neighbouring Kenya and Sudan thronged village of Wii-Polo in Paimol, Agago district to commemorate the beautification anniversary of Daudi Okello and Jildo Irwa, who were martyred in northern Uganda in 1918.

By Chris Ocowun

LAST Wednesday, thousands of pilgrims from within Uganda and the neighbouring Kenya and Sudan thronged village of Wii-Polo in Paimol, Agago district to commemorate the beautification anniversary of Daudi Okello and Jildo Irwa, who were martyred in northern Uganda in 1918.

The ceremony marked eight years since Pope John Paul II pronounced them Blessed, the last stage to sainthood.

More than 10,000 pilgrims and 300 priests from different dioceses attended the celebrations. Some started arriving at Wii-Polo on Sunday. Others arrived late on Wednesday because their trucks got stuck due to the bad conditions of the different roads after rain.

The event attracted thousands of Christians from Lira, Kotido, Moroto, Arua, Nebbi, Kampala, Gulu and as far as Kenya and Sudan.

“In a land that has been torn apart by war, the two martyrs are close to the hearts of the people because they shared social unrest,” said Msgr. Mathew Odong of Gulu Archdiocese.

Pilgrims were asked to say prayers for miracles using the intercession of the Blessed Okello and Irwa. At this stage, miracles are needed for the Pope to announce them saints.

So far, Pope Benedict XVI has canonised 14 saints and beatified 563 Blessed, 527 of them martyrs, since 2005 when he became Pope.

The latest canonisation was last Sunday, when he declared six new Catholic saints in a ceremony at St Peter’s Square in Rome. They included Mary MacKillop (Australia’s first canonised saint), Stanislaw Soltys (Poland), Andre Bessette (Canada), Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria Barriola (Spain) and Italians Giulia Salzano and Battista da Varano.

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