The Ugandan martyrs suffered under King Mwanga of the Baginda in 1885-1886. Some of them had enjoyed the good graces of the king at his court, and some were even related to him. They included Joseph Mkasa, master of the pages at court, who had criticised Mwanga and was beheaded on 15 Nov 1885, and his successor Charles Lwanga and his twenty-one companions, adhering steadfastly to the Catholic faith, who were burned alive on 3 June 1886 at Namugongo, because they would not accede to the king’s unreasonable demands. They were canonised in 1964 by Paul VI, who visited the shrine at Namugongo five years later. – CTS New Daily Roman Missal 2012, p 2731, Christian Prayer 1990, p 1142.
