St. Charles, along with many other Christian martyrs, died in Namugongo, Uganda, between November 15, 1885 and January 27, 1887 for their faith. In 1920, Pope Paul VI beatified St. Charles and his companions, and in 1964, he canonized them.
When King Mutesa of Uganda graciously accepted the White Fathers, a congregation of priests established by Cardinal Lavigerie, in 1879, Catholicism started to expand throughout the country. Soon after the priests started preparing the catechumens for baptism, many of the young pages in the king's court converted to Catholicism.
However, following Mutesa's death, his son Mwanga, a wicked man who participated in pedophilic acts with the younger pages, ascended to the throne.
When King Mwanga assassinated a visiting Anglican Bishop, his main page, Joseph Mukasa, a Catholic who went to great lengths to shield the younger lads from the king's lust, condemned the king's conduct and was beheaded on November 15, 1885.
Charles Lwanga, a 25-year-old man who was fully committed to teaching the younger boys Christianity, was appointed as the head page and used force to keep the lads safe from the king's advances.
Sensing that their own lives were in jeopardy on the night of Joseph Mukasa's martyrdom, Lwanga and a few other pages went to be baptized by the White Fathers. A week after the death of Joseph Mukasa, another hundred catechumens were baptized.
King Mwanga discovered that one of the lads was studying catechism in May of the following year. Enraged, he commanded that every page be scrutinized in order to distinguish the Christians from the non-Christians. Fifteen Christians, ranging in age from thirteen to twenty-five, came forward. The King inquired if they were planning to continue their faith. Together, they retorted, "Until death!"
They were shackled together and made to walk for two days to the place where they would be burned at the stake- Namugongo. Along the way, one of the oldest boys, Matthias Kalemba, cried out, “God will rescue me. But you will not see how he does it, because he will take my soul and leave you only my body.” It took the executioners at least three days to dismember him and abandon him to die on the road.
After arriving at the location of their burning, they were bound together for seven days while the executioners readied the wood for the flames.
Charles Lwanga was set apart from the others and set ablaze on June 3, 1886, the Feast of the Ascension. His feet were methodically burned by the executioners until only the scorched ones were left. They assured him that if he abandoned his beliefs, they would release him while he was still alive. "You are burning me, but it feels like you are pouring water over my body," he said in rejection. Then he kept praying in silence while they burned him alive. He looked up, exclaiming, "Katonda! - My God!" just before the flames reached his heart, and he passed away.
His friends prayed and sang songs till they passed away, and they were all burned together on the same day. In total, 24 protomartyrs were present. On January 27, 1887, King Mwanga beheaded John Mary, a young man who was the last of the protomartyrs.
During Mwanga's reign, persecutions increased and 100 Christians—protestant and Catholic—were executed or tortured.
St. Charles Lwanga is revered as the patron saint of African Catholic Youth Action.
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Saint Paula
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