<p>St. Charles Lwanga was born in 1860 in the Kingdom of Buganda in the southern part of modern Uganda.&nbsp; He served as a page and later as a major-domo in the court of King Mwanga II.&nbsp; As part of the King&rsquo;s effort to resist foreign colonization, he had begun to insist that Christian converts abandon their new faith, and executed many Anglicans and Catholics between 1855 and 1887.&nbsp; Many of those that were executed were officials in his Royal Court or otherwise very close to him.&nbsp; Among those executed was Charles Lwanga, and the Catholic Church recognizes him as a Ugandan Catholic Catechist martyred for his faith.&nbsp; His feast day is June 3^rd, and he is venerated on the Liturgical calendar. &nbsp;</p> <p>The persecutions started in 1885.&nbsp; After a massacre of Anglican Missionaries, who included Bishop James Hannington, the leader of the Catholic community, Joseph Mukasa, who was then major-domo of the court, as well as a lay catechist, reproached the king for the killings.&nbsp; Later that day, Charles Lwanga sought baptism as a Catholic by a missionary Priest.&nbsp; On May 25, 1886, Mwanga ordered a general assembly of the court.&nbsp; He charged two of the pages, which were condemned to death.&nbsp; The following morning, Charles secretly baptized those in his charge, who were still only catechumens.&nbsp; Later that day, the King called a court assembly, in which he interrogated all present to see if any would renounce Christianity.&nbsp; Led by Charles Lwanga, the royal pages declared their fidelity to their religion, upon which the King ordered them, bound and condemned them to death.&nbsp; Two of the prisoners were executed on the march to the traditional place of execution. &nbsp;</p> <p>On June 3^rd, the Guardians for private execution separated Charles Lwanga from the others.&nbsp; As he was being burnt, Charles said to the Guardian, &ldquo;It is as if you are pouring water on me.&nbsp; Please repent and become a Christian like me&rdquo;.&nbsp; Twelve Catholic boys and men, and also nine Anglicans were burnt alive.&nbsp; The anger of the King was particularly inflamed against the Christians, because they refused to give into demands to participate in sexual acts with him.&nbsp; Charles Lwanga, in particular, had protected the pages from King Mwanga&rsquo;s sexual advances, angering the King.&nbsp; The executions were also motivated by the King&rsquo;s efforts to avoid foreign threats to his power, and he seen the Christian Missionaries as a threat.&nbsp; Charles Lwanga was burnt alive and martyred for his faith on June 3^rd 1886, along with other Catholics.&nbsp; Pope Paul VI canonized him and his companions in 1964. &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Practical Take Away</strong></span></p> <p>St. Charles Lwanga was born in 1860 in the Kingdom of Buganda in the southern part of modern Uganda.&nbsp; He served as a page and later as a major-domo in the court of King Mwanga II.&nbsp; As part of the King&rsquo;s effort to resist foreign colonization, he had begun to insist that Christian converts abandon their new faith, and executed many Anglicans and Catholics between 1855 and 1887.&nbsp; Many of those that were executed were officials in his Royal Court or otherwise very close to him.&nbsp; Among those executed was Charles Lwanga, and the Catholic Church recognizes him as a Ugandan Catholic Catechist martyred for his faith.&nbsp; His feast day is June 3^rd, and he is venerated on the Liturgical calendar.<span> &nbsp;</span></p>