Pope Paul VI officially canonised the 22 Catholic Uganda Martyrs at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on October 18, 1964, elevating them to sainthood and making them the first group of modern sub-Saharan African saints to be canonised by the Catholic Church.
The canonisation came 77 years after the persecution and executions of Christians under Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda between 1885 and 1887. The martyrs were killed for refusing to renounce their Christian faith, with the largest group executed at Namugongo on June 3, 1886. Their sacrifice became a defining chapter in the history of Christianity in Uganda.
The process towards sainthood had begun decades earlier. On June 6, 1920, Pope Benedict XV beatified the martyrs, formally recognising their status as blessed within the Catholic Church. Their canonisation by Pope Paul VI in 1964 marked the culmination of that process and gave their story international recognition.
Five years later, in July 1969, Pope Paul VI visited Uganda, becoming the first reigning pope in modern history to visit sub-Saharan Africa. During the historic visit, he paid tribute to the martyrs, including at Namugongo, where their memory had become central to Uganda’s Catholic faith and pilgrimage tradition.
The Catholic Church celebrates the Uganda Martyrs’ feast day annually on June 3, drawing pilgrims from Uganda and beyond to Namugongo. Although 22 Catholic martyrs were canonised, 23 Anglican Christians were also executed during the same period of persecution, making their deaths an important part of Uganda’s wider Christian history.