NSAMBYA-The Archdiocese of Gulu, chosen by the Uganda Episcopal Conference to animate the 2019 Uganda Martyrs Day Celebrations is seeking for UGX. 900 million to fund the preparations, Archbishop John Baptist Odama said on Thursday.
Speaking at the official unveiling of the programme for this year’s Martyrs Day Celebrations at the Catholic Secretariat in Nsambya,
The Most Rev. Odama said the money is needed to fund activities for a successful preparation including liturgical activities, health readiness, accommodation and transport, communication and publicity among others.
“I invite all of you here present, our listeners and viewers to support this fundraising drive generously,” he said.
“We have opened a bank account with CENTENARY BANK, Gulu Main Branch and the following are the account details: A/C NAME: ARCHDIOCESE OF GULU NAMUGONGO MARTYRS CELEBRATIONS:ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3100059093”.
The Archbishop has been in Kampala all weekend to launch awareness activities for the preparations of the Uganda Martyrs Day Celebrations 2019.
The activities kicked off with volleyball, netball and football games between Mbarara Archdiocese and Gulu Archdiocese on Saturday, before a Holy Mass on Sunday at Kitante Primary School, where the Mbarara community raised Shs 30 million towards the 2019 Martyrs Day Celebrations.
Archbishop Odama thanked the Mbarara Archdiocese community for the great gesture of supporting Gulu for the success of this year’s Uganda Martyrs Day.
“They told me that Gulu’s success is Mbarara’s success, what a generous attitude? I thank them sincerely and request all the other dioceses to learn from Mbarara,” Archbishop Odama said.
He announced that the them for this year’s celebrations will be: “Obey God Always and Everywhere (based on Acts.4:19), as a rallying call to all pilgrims who annually come to honor the Uganda Martyrs and indeed all mankind, to come back to God and be loyal to Him.
He said the Archdiocese of Gulu will use the opportunity of leading the celebrations for the Uganda Martyrs Day this to celebrate the martyrdom of the two Acholi Martyrs Said I Okelo and Jildo Irwa, at a the national and international level.
“In addition to the twenty-two Martyrs, we also have the two Catechists, Blessed Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa from Paimol in the Archdiocese of Gulu. They were killed in 1918 and beatified in 2002 by Saint Pope John Paul II. Last year was therefore the 100th anniversary of their Martyrdom, celebrated at the local level at the Wi Polo Paimol Martyrs Shrine in Kalongo Catholic Parish, Agago District. This Centenary will be commemorated at the National level this year on 3rd June,” he said.
