On 3rd June this year, the Catholic Church in Uganda celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Canonization of the Uganda Martyrs.
The Holy Mass to mark the celebration was animated by Nebbi Catholic Diocese and the main celebrant was His Grace Raphael Wokorach the Archbishop elect of Gulu diocese and apostolic administrator of Nebbi diocese.
Pilgrims came from all parts of Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina and some from Europe.
Earlier, the Rector of Namugongo Martyrs Shrine who is also the Parish Priest Fr Vincent Lubega said this year they had anticipated to receive one million and five hundred thousand Pilgrims for the celebration.
The theme of the celebration this year was “But as for me and my house hold, we shall serve the Lord”. During his homily Bishop Raphael called upon Christians to emulate Prophet Joshua.
“Joshua felt called to work and please God not the law, he had learnt from the law that God came to shape his life, when you offer your person and being, when you offer your community as a sacrifice pleasing to God because you have no other God this is the way Joshua understood what his vocation was all about. He understood that when you offer sacrifices to God because you don’t kill, because you don’t steal, because you don’t spread fake news you are pleasing to God,” said the Bishop.
He continued that Christians should engage their families in the spiritual gift because Jesus taught us through the gospel reading of 3rd June that he presents the pattern of one who is staying on the side of life to seek life he did not offer money, or animal, or other people the way people are being sacrificed in the unjust ways or bad policies and bad politics. The Bishop said Jesus Christ offered his own life to get closer to the poor, suffering and abandoned and that was what he meant by being disciples.
He also called upon Members of Parliament to have the same courage they had when kicking out homosexuality, and same sex marriages to kick out corruption.
“The courage of St Joseph Balikuddembe is a light of our step in our world, more especially when we have space of leadership to guide others, when we make decisions, and policies. Recently our members of Parliament made a decision to kick out homosexuality and same sex marriage that was proposed, they tightened it and kicked it out. With courage.
At the moment the signs still remain rooted in our midst, how I wish the same policy makers could also use the same energy to shoot corruption,” Added Bishop Raphael.
