Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine

Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine
Church and martyrdom spot.
Basic information
Location	Munyonyo, Kampala,  Uganda
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
District	Archdiocese of Kampala
Country	Uganda
Year consecrated	in construction
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Shrine
Website	Homepage
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Robert Sseremba
Groundbreaking	2015

The Munyonyo Martyrs’ Shrine is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to the Ugandan Martyrs.

The church is located at Munyonyo, Kampala, in Central Uganda. Munyonyo is located approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi), by road, south of the central business district of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city in that East African country.

Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine is the martyrdom place of leaders in Royal enclave; St. Andrew Kaggwa and St. Denis Ssebugwawo - Uganda Martyrs killed by King Mwanga II on 26 May 1886 canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964. It is also a place where in 1886 Saint Charles Lwanga - leader of Christian community in Uganda baptized St. Kizito, St. Mbaga, St. Gyavira and St. Muggaga.

it was at Munyonyo where King Mwanga took the fateful decision to begin putting Christians to death. The blood of Ugandan’s martyrs was shed on the soil around Munyonyo. The first three Christians to render their lives for Christ’s sake after the King’s decision did so on 26 May 1886 – they were: St. Denis Ssebugwawo, St. Andrew Kaggwa and St. Pontiano Ngondwe.

In Munyonyo, all of the King’s Christian pageboys were captured and sentenced to death at Namugongo (the Kingdom’s designated place for execution). The prisoners were grievously bound to each other, and were made to walk their life’s final journey escorted by merciless soldiers; theirs was a brutal and soul-inspiring last pilgrimage. On the way to Namugongo, at a lonely spot by the side of a road in Kyamula, Pontiano was martyred – he was the third Ugandan whose love of Christ outshone his desire for life itself. That same day in Munyonyo, servant of God, Fr. Symeon Lourdel (Mapeera) was desperately seeking an audience with the King Mwanga in order to intervene for condemned Christians. However, he was not permitted to see King.