Uganda Martyr Noa Mawaggali

Mawaggali was in Banabakintu’s house giving the men instructions and discussing with them the news of the arrest of Matthias and Luke on their way to the Catholic Mission where they had gone to represent Mityana Christians in the catechetical class. The raiding party then led by Mbugano, the royal legate, closed in on the house.

Mawaggali went out to meet them, thus giving his fellow Christians the chance to escape. Kamanyi, the king’s chief drummer, plunged his spear into Mawaggali’s back, who fell grievously wounded. The wounded martyr was then tied on a tree and dogs were set upon him. At nightfall his mangled remains were untied from the tree and left on the road as a warning to other Christians.

Mawaggali was the son of Musazi and a member of the Bush-Buck (Ngabi) Clan. His mother’s name was Meme. He was an expert potter and was appointed potter to the county chief who greatly admired his work. After living for a time in the chief’s household, Mawaggali became a tenant of Matthias Kalemba and built a house on his land. Kalemba was his friend, as well as his landlord, and it was this friendship, as well as the zeal and Christian example of Matthias, which drew Mawaggali to him and which induced him to join the Catholic catechumenate.

He was eventually baptized on November 1st, the Feast of All Saints, 1885 in a group of twenty-two. Noé Mawaggali was beatified by Pope Benedict XV in 1920, and declared a canonized saint by Pope Paul VI in 1964. A portion of the tree to which the martyr was tied is preserved at Mityana, where a magnificent modern shrine commemorates all three martyrs of Mityana.

See more on Uganda Martyrs Wikipedia

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