The Sanctuary of the Martyrs of Munyonyo

Munyonyo · Uganda · Place where martyrs began their way to martyrdom

The Manyonyo Martyrs Sanctuary on the outskirts of Kampala marks the place where the future martyrs of Uganda were arrested and began their last way to Namugongo. Built as a memorial of thanksgiving for the canonization of 1964, the sanctuary includes the church, a museum and places of martyrdom. The first stone was placed on May 3, 2015 by the Apostolic Nuncio and Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala.

Munyonyo: the beginning of the road

Munyonyo, located on the banks of Lake Victoria on the outskirts of Kampala, was the place where the Christian pajes of the court of the Kabaka Mwanga II were arrested and imprisoned before being taken to Namugongo for execution in 1886. The monument in Munyonyo marks the point from which the future martyrs began their last journey, walking several kilometres to the place of their death.

The sanctuary includes a rock that tradition points out as the place where San Andrés Kaggwa was martyred and an open amphitheater built on the tomb of San Andrés, where outdoor liturgy is held.

The construction of the sanctuary

The sanctuary was conceived as a memorial of thanksgiving for the canonization of the martyrs of Uganda by Paul VI in 1964. The first stone-laying ceremony took place on 3 May 2015, chaired by the Apostolic Nuncio in Uganda, Archbishop Michael A. Blume, and Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala. The redevelopment included the construction of a new church-sanctuary, a museum, offices and martyrdom sites.

The context of martyrdom

In May 1886, Mwanga II called the Christian pajes of his court and asked who of them prayed. Those who took one side - most between 15 and 30 years - were separated and taken on a long journey to Namugongo. In Munyonyo, some were executed locally: San Denis Ssebugwawo (16 years) was killed on 25 May 1886, and San Andrés Kaggwa (30 years) was executed on 26 May.

Along with the Catholic martyrs, the Anglican converts also suffered martyrdom. In total, 22 Catholics and 23 Anglicans were executed between 1885 and 1887. Most Catholics were burned alive in Namugongo on June 3, 1886.

Devotion to martyrs and Mary

The martyrs of Uganda are particularly venerated throughout sub-Saharan Africa as models of faith and courage. San Carlos Lwanga, the patron of African youth and Catholic Action, is the best known. Devotion to martyrs is closely linked to Marian devotion: the martyrs were catechized by the White Fathers, who promoted the prayer of the rosary, and the Virgin Mary was the mother who comforted them in their martyrdom. In Senegal, a church built in 1890 contains relics of the martyrs and there are several churches dedicated to Kizito, the youngest of the martyrs.