St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

Charles Lwanga served as chief of the royal pages and later major-domo in the court of King Mwanga II of Buganda, now part of Uganda. To resist a Christian worldview that undermined the authority of his office, King Mwanga II insisted that Christian converts abandon their new faith. When the king questioned 15 boys and young men, between the ages of 13 and 25, and asked them if they were willing to keep their faith, they answered in unison, “Until death!” They were executed on June 3, 1886. Between 1885 and 1887, a total of 22 Catholics were martyred.
 
Prayer
Martyrs of Uganda, pray for the faith where it is in danger and for Christians who must suffer because of their faith. Give them the same courage, zeal, and joy you showed, and help those of us who live in places where Christianity is accepted to remain aware of the persecution in other parts of the world. Amen.
 
Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs is on June 3.