Rev. Fr. Alfred Agwokotho from Nebbi Catholic Diocese has urged Ugandans to imitate the Uganda Martyrs, who did not allow the then King of Buganda Mwanga to compromise their faith in Jesus Christ.
According to Fr. Agwokotho, corruption would be no more in Uganda if we followed the example of the martyrs, who refused to be compromised by respective positions of authority.
“Corruption is destroying our country because we don’t want to follow the example of the martyrs. Serving God is not about being a brother or a sister. It is about surrendering your heart and body to God for his will to work for you,” Agwokotho said.
He made the remarks while presiding over the general mass at the Namugongo Catholic Shrine on June 1, 2024.
Rev. Fr. Agwokotho also warned the pilgrims against fighting for authority because it leads to a lot of tragedies in societies.
“King Mwanga executed the Uganda martyrs because he wanted to exercise his authority. People have killed one another because of authority. Marriages have broken because men want to demonstrate authority. Mwanga thought that he was powerful enough to kill the Martyrs, but as the Bible says, all things work for the good of those who love God. We are here because they died for their faith,” Fr. Agwokotho told the pilgrims.
He also urged the pilgrims to have faith in the Lord because he is a healer. He blessed the pilgrims and prayed for them to be delivered by the Lord.
“Your coming here is not a waste of time because it vivifies your desire and love to follow the example of Uganda Martyrs,” he added.
Okaba Samuel, the chairperson of the pilgrims committee, assured the pilgrims of safety, encouraging them to focus on spirituality for them to be blessed.
Fr. Emmanuel Ocukuru, the Pastoral Coordinator of the Nebbi Catholic Diocese and the spokesperson of this year’s Martyrs Day celebrations, revealed that this edition of the celebrations is different due to the fact that it consumes the biggest budget than those of the previous years.
According to Okaba, the Uganda Martyrs celebration has brought together people from different continents of the world, and more pilgrims are expected to arrive until Monday, June 3, 2024, when the celebration will be concluded.
