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JUNE 3 - ST. CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS

Christianity was still quite new to Uganda, Africa, when a Catholic mission was started in 1879. The priests were members of the Missionaries of Africa. Because of their white religious habit, they became popularly known as the “White Fathers.”

King Mwanga did not know what Christianity was all about. But he became angry when a Catholic, Joseph Mkasa, corrected him for the way he was living. The king had murdered a group of Christians and their Anglican bishop.

The king was also involved in homosexual activity. He was especially interested in his court pages. King Mwanga’s anger turned into resentment and hatred for Joseph Mkasa and his religion. A few of the king’s ambitious officers fueled his fears with lies.

Joseph Mkasa was beheaded on November 18, 1885. The persecution had begun. Before it was over, a hundred people died. Twenty-two of them would be declared saints. With the death of Joseph Mkasa, Charles Lwanga became the chief religion teacher of the king’s Catholic pages.

King Mwanga’s face twisted in rage “It can’t be true.” He yelled at his adviser. “It is true, Charles Lwanga, your steward, has baptized four more catechumens, all men under the age of twenty-five.” “Don’t they fear to die like their friend Joseph Mkasa, who was killed for his disobedience?” “That’s the strange thing,” answered the adviser, “they’ve held even more strongly to their faith after his death. More houng men are attracted to Christianity than ever.”

The king called in Denis Sebuggwawo. He asked Denis if he had been teaching religion to another page. Denis said yes. The king grabbed his spear and flung it violently through the young man’s throat. Then the king shouted that no one was permitted to leave his headquarters.

War drums beat throughout the night calling the executioners. In a hidden room, Charles Lwanga secretly baptized four pages. One was St. Kizito, a cheerful, generous thirteen-year-old. He was the youngest of the group. St. Charles Lwanga had often protected Kizito from the king’s lust.

Most of the twenty-two Uganda martyrs who have been proclaimed saints were killed on June 3, 1886. They were forced to walk thirty-seven miles to the execution site. After a few days in prison, they were thrown into a huge fire and burned alive. What the king did not realize was that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.

Seventeen of the martyrs were royal pages. One of the martyred boys was St. Mbaga. His own father was the executioner that day. Another of the martyrs, St. Andrew Kagwa, died on January 27, 1887. He was among the twenty-two proclaimed saints in 1964 by Pope Paul VI.

JUNE 5 - ST. BONIFACE

This great apostle of Germany was born in Wessex in England. When he was small, some missionaries stayed a while at his home. They told the boy all about their work. They were so happy and excited about bringing the Good News to people. Boniface decided in his heart that he would be just like them when he grew up.

While still young, he went to study at a monastery school in Exeter. When he grew up, he became a popular teacher. Then after he was ordained a priest, he was a powerful preacher because he was so full of enthusiasm.

Boniface wanted everyone to know about and love Jesus and his Church. With the blessings of Pope St. Gregory II, he went as a missionary to the western part of Germany. St. Albinus, St. Abel and St. Agatha also helped him. Boniface preached with great success. He was gentle and kind. He was also a man of great courage.

Once, to prove that the pagan gods were false, he boldly went to a huge oak tree called the “oak of Thor.” The pagans believed it was sacred to their gods. In front of a large crowd, Boniface took of his shirt and hacked the huge tree a few times with an axe bringing it down with a crash. Boniface stood on the trunk, and asked, “How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he.” The pagans who expected their gods to punish Boniface for this act, realized that their gods were false when nothing happened to Boniface.

Everywhere he preached, people accepted Jesus, were baptized and joined the Church. In his lifetime, Boniface converted many people. He destroyed statues and temples of the pagan gods, and built churches and monasteries in those places.

In 732, the new pope, St. Gregory III made Boniface an archbishop and gave him another mission territory. It was Bavaria, which is part of Germany today. He and some companions went there to teach the people about the true faith. Here, too, the holy bishop was very successful.

Then, one day, he was at Freisland in Holland, preparing to confirm some converts. A group of fierce warriors swooped down on the camp. Boniface would not let his companions defend him. “Our Lord tells us to repay evil with good,” he said. “The day has come for which I have waited so long. Trust in God and he will save us.”

The Barbarians attacked, and Boniface was the first one killed and fifty-two newly converted Christians were also killed. He died a martyr on June 5, 754. As he wished, he was buried at the famous monastery he had started at Fulda, Germany.

JUNE 4 - ST. FRANCIS CARACCIOLO

Ascanio Pisquizio was born at his family’s castle at Villa Santa Maria in the Abruzzi region of Italy. His father was a Neapolitan prince and his mother was from the family of St. Thomas Aquinas. Francis had a good upbringing and he was active in sports. When he grew up, he enjoyed going hunting with his friends.

Then, when he was twenty-two, a disease, something like leprosy, brought him close to death. While he was sick, he thought about how empty his life was and all the pleasures of this world only for a short while.

Francis promised that if he got better, he would dedicate his life to God. The disease left him so fast that it seemed like a miracle. Francis kept his promise. He sold all he had, gave the money to the poor and began his studies to become a priest in Naples.

Later, as a new priest, Father Francis joined a group called the White Robes of Justice who cared for the prisoners and prepared condemned men to die a good death. Then with the approval of the Pope, he and another priest, John Augustine Adorno, started a religious congregation that cared for the sick and prisoners.

When Father Adorno died, Francis was chosen superior. He was not comfortable at all with this position. So humble was he that he actually signed his letters, “Francis the sinner.” He also took his turn, along with the other priests, sweeping the floors, making beds and washing dishes.

Father Francis often spent almost the whole night praying in church. He wanted all the priests to spend at least one hour a day in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. St. Francis spoke so often and so well about God’s love for us that he became known as “the preacher of the love of God.”

He opened new congregation houses in Rome, Madrid, Valladolid and Alcala. He worked with the poor, performed many miracles and healed this sick with the sign of the cross. Pope Paul V wanted to make him a bishop, but Francis gently but firmly refused.

St. Francis did not live a long life. He was at Agnone in Italy when he died in 1607 at the age of forty-four of a fever. Just before he died, he suddenly cried, “Let’s go!” “Where do you want to go?” asked the priest by his bed. “To heaven! To heaven!” came the answer in a clear, happy voice. Soon after, he died.

JUNE 6 - ST. NORBERT

Norbert was born in Germany. He was a good child and teenager. Then at the court of Emperor Henry V, Norbert spent all his time making merry and having fun. He only wanted high positions in the court. He was always the first to arrive at parties and celebrations. He was very happy with “the good life.”

One day, however, his horse was frightened by a flash of lightning and bolted. Norbert was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious. When he woke, he began to think seriously about the way he was wasting his life.

Suddenly, God felt very near. Norbert realized that the Lord was offering him the grace to change for the better. He then decided to take life more seriously and went back to the idea he had once had many years before. He had wanted to become a priest. So he studied to become a priest and was ordained to the priesthood in 1115.

Father Norbert worked hard to make others turn from their worldly ways. He gave a good example by selling all that he had and gave the money to the poor. St. Norbert started a congregation to teach people about the faith.

They began their religious life with thirteen brothers and lived in the valley of Premontre. That is why they are called Premonstratensians. They are also called Norbertines, after their founder and they started a movement of change that spread all over Europe.

St. Norbert was made bishop of the city of Magdeburg. He entered the city wearing very poor clothes and no shoes. The porter at the door of the bishop’s house did not know him and refused to let him in. He told him to go join the other beggars.

“But he is our new bishop!” shouted those who knew the saint. The porter was shocked and very sorry. “Never mind, dear brother,” St. Norbert said kindly. “You judge me more correctly than those who brought me here.”

St. Norbert had to defend the truth that Jesus is really present in the Holy Eucharist. His beautiful words about Our Lord’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament brought the people back to their holy faith. He was charming and loved all men both great and small alike.

In March, 1133, he and his great friend, St. Bernard (whose feast is celebrated on August 20) walked in an unusual procession. They joined the emperor and his army to accompany the true pope, Innocent II, safely to the Vatican. St. Norbert died at Magdeburg in Germany in 1134.

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