Our patron saint, St. Charles Lwanga, was a young man who chose fidelity to Christ in the face of persecution. Charles Lwanga and his companions were pages in the court of King Mwanga of Buganda (present-day Uganda) and converts to Christianity. They were martyred for their faith and moral stance on June 3, 1886 – Charles, only in his early 20s, was burned alive for protecting younger boys from abuse and refusing to renounce his faith. He is the patron of youth and Catholic action in Africa.
For our parish, St. Charles Lwanga’s legacy is a constant inspiration: – Youthful Courage: We pray especially for our young people to emulate Charles in courage and virtue. Our Sunday Youth Mass and Saturday youth meetings often highlight lessons from Charles Lwanga’s life, encouraging the youth to stand firm in Christian values amid modern challenges. – Purity and Leadership: Charles Lwanga is a model of moral integrity and servant leadership.
In our catechesis and family life programs, we invoke his intercession for holy marriages, responsible parenthood, and the protection of children. – Feast Day Celebration: Each year on June 3rd, we celebrate our parish feast with great joy. We typically hold a combined Mass for all Small Christian Communities on the parish grounds, followed by a cultural celebration – including Swahili and Giriama songs and dances, a shared meal, and often a short play or re-enactment by the youth depicting the story of Charles Lwanga and the Ugandan Martyrs.
This feast day is a highlight of our calendar, bringing everyone together to rejoice in the gift of our patron’s example. We’ve also organized pilgrimages for parishioners to Namugongo, Uganda (the site of the martyrdom) whenever possible, to deepen devotion to the Ugandan Martyrs; while not every year, a small delegation managed to go in 2019, and we hope to arrange another when circumstances allow. – Patron of the Choir: Interestingly, our main parish choir is named the Lwanga Choir in his honor. The choir often leads a special hymn to St. Charles Lwanga during his feast, composed in Swahili, which has become our unofficial parish anthem.
St. Charles Lwanga’s story reminds us that the seed of faith, once planted, can flourish even unto heroism. We seek his prayers that our parish may likewise flourish in faith and love.