Friday, May 31, 2013

The Ugandan Martyrs and the Ugandan Seminarians


Picture source

On Monday the Catholic church celebrates the feast of St. Charles Lwanga and his companions. They are also known as the Ugandan Martyrs. These where young and very devout Catholic men who died at the hands of their depraved ruler.

The blood of these martyrs and others like them are indeed the seeds of the Catholic Church.  The Church in the continent of Africa is teeming with vocations.  In Uganda, the homeland of St. Charles Lwanga and companions, there are seminarians who long to celebrate the Mass yet because of financial difficulties, are unable to finish their priestly education.  It is very sad to learn that one seminarian has been in the seminary for twelve years!  He wrote:

...one's lack of school fees may lead him to losing vocation. I have been in the seminary for over 12yrs and I dream serving at God's altar..."

Thank God for the internet!  There is a Facebook page who is bringing their story of their struggles to us.  If you are interested in helping you can visit Facebook's AdoptACatholicSeminarian to learn how you can help sponsor these seminarians.  At present there are four seminarians in need of a sponsor.

If you prefer to help a seminarian in your own diocese, contact the office for vocations to learn how.

Let us try to find ways of making sacrifices such as giving up buying a piece of clothing, or going out for dinner, or a movie and sent that money to the seminarian in need.  Please consider sponsoring one if you can.  

It is also very vital that we pray for them and for more vocations.

St. Charles Lwanga, pray for the Church in Uganda.  Pray for her seminarians.

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