CrucisSt. Charles Lwanga
St. Charles Lwanga was born around 1860 in the kingdom of Buganda (in modern Uganda), and died a martyr on 3 June 1886 at Namugongo. A convert to the Catholic faith, he served in the royal court as a page and eventually as master of the pages of King Mwanga II. When the king, enraged and corrupt, sought to abuse the young men in his service, Charles protected the boys, secretly instructing and baptizing several of them and encouraging them to remain pure and faithful.
When the king turned to open persecution, Charles and a group of his companions — Catholic and Anglican young men alike — were condemned to death for refusing to renounce their faith or submit to the king's evil demands. Charles was burned alive, praying and forgiving to the end. The Uganda Martyrs' witness became a seed of the flourishing Church in Africa; canonized in 1964 by Pope St. Paul VI, Charles Lwanga is honored as a patron of African youth and of catechists.
Selected quotes
“Christ is worth more than life itself; hold nothing back when he asks for all.”
“Better to die innocent than to live having betrayed the law of God.”
“Fear God alone, and the threats of the powerful will lose their power over you.”