Catholic Church plans to open own Martyrs Museum

Namugongo, Uganda | THE  INDEPENDENT | The Catholic Church is set to establish a dedicated museum for the Uganda Martyrs, aimed at becoming a central repository for information and artifacts related to their martyrdom.

Rev. Fr. Anthony Musuubire, the Kampala Archdiocesan Archivist, said that the museum will be situated at Uganda Martyrs University in Nkozi, just a few kilometers from the Kayabwe equator. He emphasized that this museum will have a distinctly Catholic focus.

In contrast, the Anglican Church inaugurated its museum in 2015 at the site in Namugongo where the Uganda Martyrs were buried. This museum recounts the tragic story of the 45 young Christian converts (22 Anglican and 23 Catholic) who were martyred in Namugongo.

In the museum, championed by the late Anglican Archbishop Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo, art and sculpture vividly depict the martyrdom of the Uganda Martyrs. The exhibits are designed to illustrate the harrowing events of how the martyrs met their deaths and were burned at Namugongo.

The museum, inaugurated by Pope Francis during his visit to Uganda in 2015, has been a significant site. However, many Catholics feel that the Namugongo Museum does not fully capture the complete story or encompass all relevant aspects.

This is partly because it lacks some corrected information and items related to the martyrs, as well as memorabilia honoring the saints, who are now regarded as foundational figures in the faith. To supplement the Anglican-built museum, the Catholic Church has established various posts at significant sites, including the Martyrs’ Shrine in Namugongo, Munyonyo, Kiyinda-Mityana, and Old Kampala.

These locations are significant as they are where Saint Noa Mawagga and Proto-Martyr Matia Mulumba Kalembe met their deaths, respectively. From these key sites, the story of the Uganda Martyrs has been narrated to interested tourists and the faithful.

Rev. Fr. Musuubire notes that the new museum will serve as a comprehensive center dedicated to all aspects related to the martyrs. Prof. Patrick Edrin Kyamamywa, Vice Chancellor of the university, emphasized that the new museum will encompass all aspects related to the martyrs, including relics, scholarly materials, and artworks among others.

Prof. Kyamamywa expressed the university’s ambition for the museum to position UMU—established in honor of the martyrs—as the foremost authority on the Uganda Martyrs. Additionally, the university aims to use the museum to promote the martyrs’ story globally.

The concept of the museum is being proposed at a time when the Catholic Church is commemorating the 60th anniversary of the canonization of the Uganda Martyrs. This milestone is being celebrated with various events, including an exhibition featuring items related to the Uganda Martyrs, such as first-class relics—fragments of the remains of St. Charles (Karooli) Lwanga and St. Matthias Mulumba. The exhibition was inaugurated on Saturday at the UMU Lubaga campus.

Dr. David Tshimba, the curator of the exhibition, observed that the story of the martyrs has not been adequately shared with the world and locals, despite its richness and potential to promote faith-based tourism. Dr Tshimba further said that neither the Church nor the government has fully honored the martyrs or leveraged Martyrs’ Day on June 3 to attract larger audiences.

“Namugongo is currently ranked as the second-largest Christian pilgrimage event in the world, after Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, if papal visits are excluded. In Africa, it is the second-largest religious event, following the Grand Magal of Touba in Senegal. Given the massive attendance at these other two sites from people of all backgrounds, Uganda still has a long way to go in terms of drawing similar crowds,” Dr. Tshimba noted.

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URN