Gospel in Art: Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs

St Kizito being baptised by St Charles Lwanga at Munyonyo. Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine, © Wikimedia

Gospel of 3 June 2025
John 17:1-11a

At that time: Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

'I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.'

Reflection on the stained glass window

Saint Charles Lwanga and his Companions were a group of 22 Catholic martyrs, killed for their faith in Uganda between 1885 and 1887. They were part of a wider persecution of Christian converts (both Catholic and Anglican) under the rule of King Mwanga II of Buganda. The king, fearing the growing influence of Christianity in his court and angered by its opposition to his immoral demands, especially toward young male pages, began a brutal campaign against the Christian converts. Charles Lwanga, a court official and a devout Catholic, courageously protected the younger boys from the king's abuses and continued to instruct them in the faith, even after the murder of the Catholic missionary Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe.

On 3 June 1886, Charles and twelve of his companions were burned alive at Namugongo, having refused to renounce their faith. Their martyrdom became a powerful witness, inspiring the growth of Christianity throughout Uganda and beyond. Pope Paul VI canonised them in 1964, recognising not only their heroic virtue but also the extraordinary witness of a young, indigenous African Church. Today's feast holds special significance in Africa, especially in Uganda, where they are national heroes and spiritual intercessors.

Among those martyred was Saint Kizito, the youngest of the group, who was just 14 years old at the time of his death. Our stained glass window from the Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine. A page at the royal court, Kizito was deeply influenced by the example and care of Charles Lwanga. On the night before their execution, at Munyonyo, Charles secretly baptised Kizito, knowing that their deaths were imminent. It was an act of immense courage and love, a final gift of faith from one saint to another! That moment, in the darkness of persecution, symbolises the light of Christ passed from one soul to another, and the enduring strength of belief in the face of terror. Today, Munyonyo is a place of pilgrimage, where the memory of their sacrifice continues to inspire generations of believers.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-17-1-11a/ (with audio)