Novena to St. Charles, Patron Saint of African Youths... Day 6 - 31st May 2014

Today, we pray for all Lay faithfuls;

Let us pray today for all the lay faithfuls, who according to church statistics, comprise  an approximate 97% of the Church's population.

We pray, first for the entire members of the Catholic Men Organisation, C.M.O.,  that God will give them the enablement to carry-on and lead-out their primary obligation as the Pillars of the Church, serving as a visible, functional and reliable backbone of the Church, in times of turbulence and in times of relative tranquility.

We pray for our dear mothers, the Catholic Women Organisation - C.W.O., that they will stand their grounds in facing boldly the challenges of the twenty-first century cum contemporary societal trends which are in unimaginable contrast to ethically recognized and accepted societal norms, morals and values.
That the social laxity which has thus far culminated in a continuous downward trend of moral societal values will not eat into the fabrics of the Church,  but that the Church, through the efforts of our dear mothers, will stand fast amid  such craze, starring us daringly in the face;

We pray for the youths of the holy mother Church, the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria - C.Y.O.N., that as we toil relentlessly towards the growth of the Church in all spheres and facets - Spiritual, social, moral, financial, and otherwise, the Spirit of God may come down fully upon us and give us the grace to realize that we serve God through our service to others and to the Church.
May  we always have within us a lively faith animated by charity which will enable us to carry out all our  actions for the motive of pure love and conscientious charity.

We pray for unity and love, that all lay faithfuls of the Church, despite our ethnic and cultural differences, will  puts hands together on deck, realizing that we are all heirs of God's kingdom and primarily and co-equal members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, founded on Christ, by Christ Jesus himself, and handed down to us through the Apostles - the unending chain of the Ministerial Priesthood;

For these and many more intentions, we pray to the Lord...

St. Charles L'wanga, Patron Saint of African Youths... Pray for us!

Society Meetings...!

All youth societies will have their monthly meeting for the month of May.

Each and every society, with the exception of St. Maria Goretti society  - which was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, will meet tomorrow morning immediately after morning Mass at their designated locations within the church premises.

We are all enjoined to come out in large numbers and in good time, to contribute our ideas and lend our voices in contributing to the growth of our parish.

We should also do well to come out in good time to enable us leave in good time.

Thanking you for your anticipated co-operation, I greet you all...

For God and for youth...!

From the CKC Deanery Desk

This is a notice to inform all of our scheduled meeting of the CKC Deanery youth taking place as follows:

Date: Saturday, 31st May, 2014
Venue: St. Peter's Parish, Uniuyo
Time: 10:00am - beginning with the Holy Mass

Avail yourself of the opportunity to participate and keep abreast with the decisions and activities of the CYON at the Deanery level.
Your timely and prompt presence is of utmost importance...

For God and for Youth...!

A brief history on St. Charles L'wanga, Patron Saint of African Youths.


LIFE

Charles was born in the Kingdom of Buganda, the southern part of modern Uganda, and served as a page and later major-domo in the court of King Mwanga II. As part of the king's effort to resist foreign colonization, the king insisted that Christian converts abandon their new faith, and executed many Anglicans and Catholics between 1885 and 1887, many of whom were officials in the royal court or otherwise very close to him, including Lwanga.


MATYRDOM

The persecution started in 1885. After a massacre of Anglican missionaries, which included Bishop James Hannington, the leader of the Catholic community, Joseph Mukasa – who was then major-domo of the court, as well as a lay catechist--reproached the king for the killings, against which he had counseled him. Mwanga had Mukasa beheaded and arrested all of his followers. This took place on November 15th. The king then ordered that Lwanga, who was chief page at that time, take up Mukasa's duties. That same day, Lwanga sought baptism as a Catholic by a missionary priest.

On May 25, 1886, Mwanga ordered a general assembly of the court while they were settled at Munyonyo, where he charged two of the pages, whom he then condemned to death. The following morning, Lwanga secretly baptized those of his charges who were still only catechumens. Later that day, the king called a court assembly in which he interrogated all present to see if any would renounce Christianity. Led by Lwanga, the royal pages declared their fidelity to their religion, upon which the king ordered them bound and condemned them to death, directing that they be marched to the traditional place of execution. Two of the prisoners were executed on the march there.

When preparations were completed and the day had come for the execution on June 3rd, Lwanga was separated from the others by the Guardian of the Sacred Flame for private execution, in keeping with custom . As he was being burnt, Charles said to the Guardian, "It is as if you are pouring water on me. Please repent and become a Christian like me."

Twelve Catholic boys and men and nine Anglicans were then burnt alive (another Catholic, Mbaga Tuzinde, was speared to death for refusing to renounce Christianity, and his body was thrown into the furnace to be burned along with those of Lwanga and the others[3]). The ire of the king was particularly inflamed against the Christians because they refused to accede to demands to participate in sexual acts with him. Charles Lwanga, in particular, had protected the pages from King Mwanga's sexual advances. The executions were also motivated by Mwanga's broader efforts to avoid foreign threats to his power. According to Assa Okoth, Mwanga's overriding preoccupation was for the "integrity of his kingdom," and perceived that men such as Lwanga were working with foreigners in "poisoning the very roots of his kingdom". Not to have taken any action could have led to suggestions that he was a weak sovereign.


VENERATION

Charles Lwanga and the other Catholics who accompanied him in death were canonized in 1964 by Pope Paul VI during a pastoral visit to Uganda. Although the Anglicans could not be canonized, they were named "with the others, also deserving mention" for enduring "death for the name of Christ".
The Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs was built at the site of the executions, and serves as their shrine.
The Brothers of St. Charles Lwanga were founded in 1927 as an indigenous religious congregation of Ugandan men committed to providing education to the youth of their country.


RELICS

A vertebra of St Charles Lwanga is on display in the Treasury of Westminster Cathedral, London

...c.f. Wikipedia

Novena to St. Charles, Patron Saint of African Youths...

Day 5 - 30th May 2014

Today, we pray for the Church; 

Let us pray, first for the Church Universal, under the Pastoral guidance of Pope Francis, that God in His abounding love and benevolence has called Pope Francis to serve in the Apostolic Office of Pope, may always abide by him to lead the Church constantly in the paths of righteousness;

Let us pray for the Church Local; that is, the Church in Nigeria; under the leadership of the CBCN; that God in his infinite mercies will guide their hearts to contribute their own quota of selfless service and relentless efforts geared towards propagating and sustaining unity, peace and stability in the country;

Let us pray for the Church Provincial ' The Calabar Province; that the Church in Calabar province - under the leadership of the six Provincial Bishops - four suffragan and two emeriti - will be poised towards the propagation of faith anew and to fan into flame those who are lukewarm in matters of their faith, as regularly we profess in the Apostles' Creed;

Let us pray for the Church Ordinary - the Diocese of Uyo; that as we continue under the guidance of Most Rev. John Ebebe Ayah, the Church will grow to greater heights and discover new strengths to conquer new challenges;

Let us also pray, that God will at HIS appointed time, choose for Uyo her own Bishop and pastor, one after HIS heart and submissive to HIS most Holy will and Dictates;

For these and other intentions, we pray to the Lord...

St. Charles, Patron Saint of African Youths... Pray for us!