UGANDA: Millions of pilgrims gather at Namugongo to celebrate 2016 Uganda Martyrs day

Following the 2015 historic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Namugongo Catholic Shrine in Ugandato commemorate the 50th anniversary of the canonization of the Martyrs, millions of enthusiastic pilgrims from across the world have gathered at Namugongo to celebrate the 2016 Uganda Martyrs day which will climax on June 3 and, have a sense of feeling of the Pontiff’s last year’s concluded visit.

This year’s celebration were led by the Diocese of Kiyinda-Mityana on behalf of Kampala Ecclesiastical Province under the theme, “The Truth Will Make You Free” (John 8:32).

According to Fr. Lazarus Kiggundu, the Chairperson of the organizing Committee for the 2016 Martyrs celebration in Kiyinda-Mityana diocese, the pilgrims started arriving at Namugongo on Sunday May 22.

“Many of these pilgrims come from different dioceses from within Uganda and other countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Malawi, Burundi and Zambia among others,” Fr. Kiggundu said. “We expected at least a total of three million pilgrims following the successful visit of the Pope last year.”

Majority of these pilgrims usually walk for days to Namugongo to honor the brave and courageous spirit exemplified by the martyrs who died for the sake of Christ. During these journey pilgrims recite the rosary and novena and invoke the names of the Martyrs to intercede for them in overcoming the challenges they face in their daily lives.

Kiyinda-Mityana diocese last led the Martyrs Day celebrations in 1994 which was shortly after the visit of Pope John Paul II to Uganda 1993.

The annual celebration, which is marked every June 3, commemorates the heroic faith of the 45

Martyrs, both Catholic and Anglican, who were burnt to death on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II, the then king of Buganda between 1885 and 1887.  Twenty two Catholic Martyrs were beatified on June 6, 1920, by Pope Benedict XV, and on October 18, 1964, Pope Paul VI canonized them as Saints. 

In addition to the Catholic Martyrs, there are two Catechists from Paimol: Blessed Daudi Okelo and Blessed Gildo Irwa who were killed in 1918. The two catechists were beatified by John Paul II on October 20, 2002. Of the twenty two Martyrs who were canonized, four of them including St. Noa Mawaggali, St. Matthias Mulumba, St. Luke Baanabakintu and St. Ambrose Kibuuka came from Singo County Kiyinda-Mityana diocese.  

Meanwhile security has been beefed up within and outside the premises by the anti-terrorism unit of the Uganda Police to ensure peaceful celebration.

By Jacinta W. Odongo, Media Officer, Uganda Episcopal Conference

TANZANIA: Bishop Libena of Ifakara leads hundreds of Pilgrims to Uganda Martyrs’ Celebrations

Bishop Libena (third from left) accompanied by 
some other Pilgrims to Namugongo Uganda

Rt. Rev. Salutaris Melchior Libena, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ifakara, Tanzania led 212 pilgrims to this year’s Uganda Martyrs celebration which is held yearly on the 3^rd June.

Speaking to AMECEA Online News at the Resurrection Garden in Nairobi, Kenya where they had made a stopover on Tuesday May, 31^st  Bishop Libena said that personally he was participating in the Pilgrimage to Uganda for the first time and it was a special occasion for him as he celebrates his Silver Jubilee of Priestly Ordination.

“This is the year of Mercy and one of the things that the Holy Father Pope Francis encourages us to do is to make Pilgrimages whenever we can. This is my 25^thyear of Priestly ordination, and together with my friends whom we were ordained together, we decided to go and say thank you to God in one of those important places like the Uganda Martyrs Shrine,” Bishop Libena explained.

Four of his colleagues whom they were ordained together managed to come for the pilgrimage with him. “We were five but unfortunately one of us could not make it due to one reason or the other,” said Bishop Libena who is also the chairman of Liturgy Commission of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference TEC. He said that expectations from the Pilgrimage are to become closer to God and more dedicated to his services for the benefit of people of God.

Bishop Libena said that Pilgrimage is a journey to remind us that we are on the way to God and each one of us needs time to reflect on the journey of his or her faith starting from where he or she comes, where they are going. “When people take time to participate in the journey of faith such as this pilgrimage, they get an opportunities to reflect on faith and become more closer to God,” Bishop Libena said adding that in his diocese, they have made special places for pilgrimage where they encourage Christians from Ifakara Diocese to visit and pray.

Also speaking to AMECEA Online NewsMr. Bartholomew Kyaruzi, the organizing chairman of this year’s pilgrimage said that the annual participation in Uganda Martyrs celebrations began with the Uganda Martyrs Parish in the Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam in Magomeni Tanzania. The Parish bears the name of the Uganda Martyrs as patron Saints.

“The first time parishioners made Pilgrimage to Uganda Martyrs Shrine was in 2005 on which 13 people participated in the pilgrimage, among them one priest and one religious sister. Those who made the first pilgrimage upon returning back home shared with others their spiritual experiences which has since motivated more people to join in the pilgrimage,” he said.

Among the 212 people who are participating in this year’s Pilgrimage include one Bishop, 14 Priests, 44 Religious Women, 128 Lay Women and 28 Men of different age groups. They are drawn from nine dioceses in Tanzania which include the Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam, Dioceses of Morogoro, Ifakara, Mahenge, Lindi, Mtwara, Iringa, Mbeya and Kigoma.

All the people converged at the Uganda Martyrs Parish in Dar-es-Salaam to start the trip together. They had a nine-day novena for the success of the pilgrimage, receiving the sacraments of confession as well as daily Eucharistic celebrations as a way of preparations.

By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News

ETHIOPIA: Newly Consecrated Apostolic Vicar of Harar asks for prayers for Christian communities in his Vicariate

Rt. Rev. Angelo Pagano, OFM Cap. 
New Apostolic Vicar of Harar

 Rt. Rev. Angelo Pagano, O.F.M. Cap. the newly consecrated Apostolic Vicar of Harar, Ethiopia has asked for prayers for members of the Christian Community in the Vicariate. Speaking during his consecration on May 29, 2016 at Diredawa St. Augustine Catholic Church, the Bishop who chose “Love one another” (Jn 15:12-17) as his Episcopal motto, asked the congregation present to support him in his ministry with prayer.

“I humbly ask you to pray for the Christian community in the Apostolic Vicariate of Harrar and for me so that God may give me a heart able to love and give consolation to his flock according to the feelings and will of Jesus the good shepherd,” he said.

Bishop Pagano also took time to pray for recently deceased Bishop Yohannes Miglioratti of Hawassa as well as Bishop Angelo Moreschi, Apostolic Vicar of Gambella and Bishop Giorgio Bertini, Bishop of Djibouti and Apostolic Administrator of Somalia who are currently admitted in hospitals receiving medical attention.

Speaking at the same occasion Bishop Emeritus of Apostolic Vicariate of Harar Rt. Rev. Woldetinsae expressed his great joy for passing on the mantle to the new shepherd of Harar. “Today when I pass on my spiritual children all priests, religious women and men and all the faithful to Bishop Angelo, I consider him to be as lucky as I have been all these 29 years that I have worked with you in spreading and witnessing the Good News to the people,” he said.

The New Apostolic Vicar of Harar is welcomed to his Vicariate  
led by the the Apostolic Nuncio of Ethiopia and 
H.E. Cardinal Berhaneyesus of Addis Ababa

Bishop Woldetinsae also recalled some of the challenges that were previously experienced in the Vicariate and appealed to the faithful to continue growing spiritually in prayer saying, “Together we have been through a lot, but with your prayers we have managed and endured the hardship and reached this stage; it is my wish that very soon we will grow even more and I hope to see that day while I am still alive.” Bishop Woldetinsae has served as the Apostolic Vicar of Harar since May 23, 1993.

Bishop Angelo Pagano prior to his appointment as Bishop was serving as a parish priest in the Diocese of Kumbo, Cameroon. He was born on January 15, 1954, in Asmara, Eritrea and ordained priest on June 25, 1988.

Group Photo of Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia

The new Bishop was welcomed to his Vicariate on May 28 at the Diredawa airport by His Eminence Cardinal Berhaneyesus, C.M., and H.E. Archbishop Luigi Bianco, Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia, together with the Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia, the Mayor of Diredawa city Administration, Catholic students of Diredawa and hundreds of Catholic faithful and people of good will.

The consecration ceremony was attended by 23 delegates from Cameroon including Archbishop Cornelius Fonteni Esua, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Bamenda and Bishop George Nkuo, Bishop of the Diocese of Kumbo, religious men and women and laity. Also in attendance was Rev. Fr. Peire Mark Desser from Djibouti/Somalia. Government officials and religious leaders extended their best wishes to the Catholic Church in Ethiopia and in Harar. The Apostolic Vicariate of Harrar includes the Harar Regional State, the Diredawa City Administration the Somalia Regional State, part of Afar Regional State and Western Hararghe of Oromiya Regional State under its jurisdiction.

By Makeda Yohannes, CBCE Communications and Public Relation Office, Ethiopia

KENYA: Archbishop Kivuva Says Filmmaking presents greater possibilities

Archbishop Kivuva of Mombasa leads Diocesan
Communications Team in Cutting the Cake
during the launch of the film Chozi 

Mombasa Archbishop Most Rev. Martin Kivuva Musonde applauds the role of filmmakers in educating the society.

Speaking during the launch of a new film dubbed Chozi, a production of Miritini Catholic Church and Lwanga Communications Centre – the Communications department of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa at Loreto Covent Mombasa, Archbishop Kivuva hailed the film project as springboard to the future of film making. “Today we are witnessing the birth of greater possibilities, from here we may pick the idea of a local channel dedicated for local content, who knows?” he said. 

The Archbishop affirmed that film-production has the power to play a formation role in the society as well as engaging the youth to realize their potential “our young people are radicalized because they are not busy, this film engaged around 30 young people across the coast and beyond” he underlined.

The Archbishop thanked and congratulated the production team for the commendable job which they achieved with limited resources “I commend the passion of Lwanga Communications team, they have done this with meagre resources, with the support of ordinary people like you and me not from Hollywood,” he said.

At the same time, addressing the gathering, Mombasa County Executive Member Youth Gender and Sports Mohammed Abbas said that the County Government is committed to partnering with the church and other stakeholders to support film making industry in the region. The event was also attended by Wundanyi Member of Parliament and Chairman of Catholic Members of Parliament Thomas Mwadeghu.

Chozi which means a tear drop is a film that highlights the importance of marriage as a sacrament in the Catholic Church’s dogma.

Source: The Catholic Mirror, KCCB

KENYA: The Focolare movement taking root in Africa

Maria Voce, President of Focolare Movement

The Focolare Movement is seeking to strengthen its penetration in the African continent. According to Maria Voce, the President of the Focolare Movement, the society hopes to recruit as many African religious, priests, the laity, the young and families to the movement whose core principles are embedded on unity and reciprocal love among the people. “The movement is at the disposal of those who want to deepen their faith” Voce said.

While visiting Maria Polese School for enculturation in Nairobi, Kenya, late May, 2016, Voce met more than 300 members from Kenya, Ethopia, Madagascar and West Africa Countries who are currently learning to enhance a better understanding and incorporation of African cultures and how to illuminate the gospel in these cultures. “African culture can be a gift to all the cultures in the world.” She noted.

She later met with the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) Vice chancellor Professor Justus Gitari Mbae to discuss potential future cooperation so as to enable the spirituality of the movement to penetrate the World through the university. “Focolare has a future in Africa, together with the other movements and congregations.” She stated.

Maria Voce also, addressed hundreds of law and Social Science students at CUEA where she encouraged them to give law a human face and seek justice founded on the values of fraternity. “It is not the law that contributes to the common good, but the person who contributes to promoting just laws.” She said.

The Focolare Movement is an international organization that promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood. Founded in 1943 in Trento, northern Italy by Chiara Lubich as a religious movement, the movement has more than two million followers worldwide.

By Rose Achiego, Waumini Communications, KCCB

SOUTH SUDAN: Bishop Lodu Encourages Missionaries to remain strong in faith

Rt. Rev. Erkolano Ludo Tombe, 
Bishop of  Catholic Diocese of Yei

Rt. Rev. Erkolano Lodu Tombe, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Yei has encouraged to missionary priests and religious sisters working in the Diocese and throughout South Sudan to remain strong in their faith after the painful death of Sister Veronika Rackova who was shot in Yei.

Bishop Lodu spoke during a farewell gathering with diocesan priests and sisters of the Congregation of Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit on Tuesday, Radio Easter reports.

He requests the missionary congregations to send more priests and sisters to the diocese.

“Losing sister Veronika, one of laborers in the Lord’s harvest leaves a big gap which needs an urgent respond,” Bishop Lodu said while thanking the missionaries for the role they play in the diocese including evangelization, health and education.

Sister Eleonora Teresa, general councillor of Catholic Religious women in South Sudan said that they will continue to work with the diocese adding that they accepted the recent situation in faith and hope for the renewal of their commitments.

Sister Teresa said that they will keep praying for peace in South Sudan through the late Sister Veronika who died as a martyr.

Meanwhile the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Torit is calling on the governments of South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda to support peace-building activities across the three borders.

Monsignor Thomas Oliha said that the church is facing a lot of financial constraints in its effort to ensure the implementation of cross-border peace initiatives, Radio Emmanuel reported.

Monsignor Oliha appealed to the three governments to own the initiative by extending their monetary support to the church to increase peace-building activities.

The peace actions aim to create peaceful co-existence among communities of Toposa of South Sudan, Turkana of Kenya and Karamoja of Uganda and other communities along the three borders.

Peace building activities in the Catholic Diocese of Torit is supported by Pax Bank and Monsignor Oliha appreciates the donor for giving money, urging them to continue in the same spirit.

Source: CRN

KENYA: Elect deserving leaders, Bishop Appeals to Kenyans

Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Barbara, Bishop of Malindi 
during an interview with The Catholic Mirror

Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Barbara Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Malindi has called on political leaders to rise above negative ethnicity and personal interests and instead focus on uniting Kenyans and development of the country.

In an interview with The Catholic Mirror, Bishop Barbara encouraged Kenyans to vote for leaders of integrity and those with the interest of Kenyan people at heart come 2017 elections."We would like to see nationalistic leaders, it is not enough to say "sisi watu wa Kenya (we the people of Kenya),” while their actions say otherwise.”

The Bishop appealed to Kenyans to shun negative ethnicity and violence as the Country approach the electioneering period 2017 and instead focus on making Kenya a better place by practicing responsible citizenry.

At the same time, Bishop Barbara urged the government to involve and consult the church on decisions of national importance. “The church may have different ideas other than those of the government but all with good intentions for her people,” said the Bishop.

He regretted that the church has been side lined in important issues affecting Kenyans even though it plays a big role in development of the county. “Catholic Church is the main sponsor of education and health facilities in the country.” He added.

The Bishop was specifically referring to the WHO/UNICEF sponsored tetanus immunization campaign launched in October 2013 supposedly to eradicate neonatal tetanus. It was targeted at girls and women between the ages of 14 – 49 (child bearing age) and in 60 specific districts spread all around the country.

He expressed disappointment that the Government is collaborating with the outsiders to control the population of its people without worrying about the consequences that could affect the nation in future encouraging Kenyans to listen to the church leaders on such matters so as to make informed choices

Source: The Catholic Mirror, KCCB