Selected pilgrims attending this year’s Uganda Martyrs’ Day commemorations at Namugongo, Wakiso District, today will face strict health screening, limited access to religious sites and the suspension of traditional lakeside activities as church leaders enforce Ebola prevention measures. The scaled-down observance follows the cancellation of the national Martyrs Day celebrations, with the Catholic Church directing the faithful to commemorate the day mainly through parish-based prayers and virtual participation.
Speaking to this publication yesterday, Rev Fr Vincent Lubega, the Rector of Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Namugongo, said prayers at the shrine will be confined to the church premises, with no activities at the lakeside, which traditionally attracts thousands of pilgrims. ‘From the entrance, standard operating procedures (SOP) from washing hands, sanitising and social spacing have already been put in place and prayers will strictly be in the Basilica and not at the lakeside as has always been the case,’ Fr Lubega said.
He added that the shrine had coordinated with police and health officials to ensure adequate preventive measures, including temperature screening and the deployment of health personnel. ‘Nearby health facilities have also been placed on standby, with enough sanitiser supplies and temperature screening measures for pilgrims who will be part of the small congregation to attend prayers physically,’ he added. The Catholic Church cancelled this year’s national celebrations and directed the faithful to commemorate the day at parish level, while allowing limited worship at the shrine under strict health guidelines.
Fr Lubega said several Masses will be celebrated throughout the day at the Basilica to manage crowds and maintain strict crowd management measures, following the normal Sunday schedule. ”Masses will be celebrated for the Namugongo parishioners like we normally do on Sundays, namely: 6:30am, 8am, 10am, and 12pm, then Mass in the evening at 5pm, all in the basilica,” he said. He added that worshippers will not be allowed to shake hands during the sign of peace (when the faithful briefly exchange handshakes, bows, or nods with those around them), saying, “Peace be with you” and will be required to leave immediately after Mass to avoid congestion.
”During Mass, we shall insist there is no interaction, like signs of peace that require handshaking. The few people that will attend each Mass will sit in a recommended social distance from one another. After each Mass, people will be directed out of the shrine so that others can have a chance to pray,” Fr Lubega said. In another major departure from previous commemorations, pilgrims will not be permitted to visit the lakeside or collect water from the site. ”It is only at the shrine where we shall pray and then go. At the lake, there will be nothing there. There is no picking of water and no delay or interactions. Once Mass is over, we go,” he added. Church leaders have also ruled out the presence of invited dignitaries and government officials who would ordinarily attend the national celebrations.
Expectation at the Anglican site
At the Anglican Martyrs Site, only 200 participants will be allowed to attend the one service commemoration after the Ministry of Health granted conditional approval for the event to proceed. The service will be led by Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba and attended by particularly clergy, church officials, health workers, organisers, security personnel, media practitioners, with no walk-in worshippers permitted. The Provincial Secretary of the Church of Uganda, Rev Canon William Ongeng, said the church had adjusted its programme to comply with Ministry of Health guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola.
The restrictions mean that, unlike previous years when thousands gathered at Namugongo for the Anglican celebrations, the event will largely be followed remotely by Christians across the country virtually. In a statement on May 17, President Museveni announced the postponement following consultations with religious leaders and national epidemic response authorities, saying the move was necessary to protect the lives and health of pilgrims and the general public.
Spiritual Void: Namugongo vibe many will miss
At the Catholic Shrine is a well-organised energetic choir singing an oratorio of the 22 original hymns of Uganda’s Martyrs. A kilometre away the replica of the same is happening as another powerful choir at the Anglican site is singing hymns and praises. In the interior is a fully packed mammoth of faithful in prayer mode. In the exterior of the two worship places is a booming business that has attracted a visibly happy people ranging from business owners who are reaping from the advantageous numbers, the drunkards who choose to forget their problems and enjoy alcohol uncontrollably, among others.
This is the Namugongo vibe hundreds of thousands, Ugandan Christian faithful together with their well-wishers will miss at this year’s Martyrs’ Day commemoration-why? Because of the unfortunate outbreak of the Ebola epidemic in the country. Besides stopping thousands of Ugandans and other pilgrims from Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries from trekking to Namugongo, the two worship places have also limited various activities creating a spiritual void. Rev Fr Vincent Lubega, the rector at the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, told this publication yesterday that many changes have been put in place to contain the Ebola spread.
For example, fetching holy water that has previously been done at free will as long as you can, has been limited, there will also be no gatherings and handshakes. The Mass will be held inside the basillica, instead of the altar outdoors. By 6am on June 3, last year, all the entrances of both the Catholic shrine, and the Anglican site had been filled to capacity as a magnitude of pilgrims squeezed their way through to physically witness the commemoration. But even when they managed to enter through a few, perhaps those that entered three days earlier, could have a chance to glimpse at the men and women of God.
All the three 1,000-capacity pavilions surrounding the altar outdoors at the Catholic side were filled to capacity and distributed among three categories of people, including the clergy, guest pilgrims and the choir, and other special guests. But today, Rev Fr Lubega said the Mass will be attended by only 200 faithful who have been cleared. The same number of the faithful will be at the Anglican site.–Compiled by Busein Samilu