If I were to found an Anglican Use Catholic Church, I would name it Catholic Church of the Ugandan Martyrs. Not only are the Catholic Ugandan Martyrs a contemporary witness to the power of Christ against tyranny – they also died alongside Anglicans Ugandan martyrs who also wished preserve their baptismal integrity by not submitting to the king’s sodomy.

Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions, known as the martyrs of Uganda, were a group of Ugandan Christians (both Catholics and Anglicans) who were murdered by King Mwanga II of Buganda, between 1885 and 1887.

His Holiness Pope Paul VI canonized 22 Ugandan martyrs on October 18, 1964. While he did not canonize the Anglican martyrs (obviously, Catholic saints must be Catholic), the Pontiff did mention the Anglican martyrs as noteworthy in his official decree of canonization where he said:

Who could have predicted to the famous African confessors and martyrs such as Cyprian, Felicity, Perpetua and – the greatest of all – Augustine, that we would one day add names so dear to us as Charles Lwanga and Matthias Mulumba Kalemba and their 20 companions? Nor must we forget those members of the Anglican Church who also died for the name of Christ.

Perhaps we should ask the Ugandan martyrs to pray for us, but especially that Christ will lead Anglicans into the Catholic Church by means of the Anglican Ordinariates proposed by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Perhaps they might become patrons of the Anglican Ordinariates!

Their feast day is today: June 3.

Ugandan Martyrs, pray for us!