One of 22 Ugandan martyrs, St. Charles Lwanga is the patron of youth and Catholic action in most of tropical Africa. He protected his fellow pages, aged 13 to 30, from the immoral demands of the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga, and encouraged and instructed them in the Catholic faith during their imprisonment for refusing the ruler’s demands.
St. Charles first learned of Christ’s teachings from two retainers in the court of Chief Mawulugungu. While a catechumen, he entered the royal household as assistant to Joseph Mukaso, head of the court pages.
On the night of Mukaso’s martyrdom for encouraging the African youths to resist King Mwanga, St. Charles requested and received baptism. Imprisoned with his friends, St. Charles’ courage and belief in God inspired them to remain chaste and faithful.
For his own unwillingness to submit to the immoral acts of the King and his efforts to safeguard the faith of his friends, St. Charles was burned to death at Namugongo on 3rd June 1886, by Mwanga’s order.
Pope St. Paul VI canonized the 22 Martyrs of Uganda on 18th October 1964.
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Other African saints:—
- St. Martin de Porres, Religious (1579—1639)
- St. Josephine Bakhita, Religious (1869—1947)
- Bld. Isidore Bakanja, Martyr (1887—1909)