St. Charles Lwanga

St. Charles Lwanga Stained Glass Window in the Newman Center

About the Window

Represented as at 26 (time of his martyrdom) after baptiz­ing one of the four he baptized (Kizito). The flames at their feet represent their martyrdom. The background represents their community.

Biography 

Charles Lwanga was martyred on June 3, 1886, at the age of 26, along with 12 other Catholics and 11 Anglicans, for refusing to renounce their faith and to comply with the corrupt and unchaste demands of King Mwanga of Uganda.
King Mwanga was a violent ruler and pedophile with a predilection for the young boys and men who served him as pages and attendants. The Christians at Mwanga’s court tried to protect the pages from King Mwanga.

A young Catholic named Joseph Mkasa was the chief stew­ard of Mwanga’s court. He confronted King Mwanga when he killed a Protestant missionary and his companions. Angered by his underling’s insolence, Mwanga ordered him killed. At the hands of his executioners, and forgiving the tyrant king, Mkasa said, “A Christian who gives his life for God is not afraid to die.” He was beheaded and burned on November 15, 1885.

Upon Jospeh Mkasa’s death, chief page Charles Lwanga took his place in the instruction and leadership of the Christian community at Mwanga’s court, having sought baptism, himself, on the very day of Mkasa’s execution. When Mwanga’s sexual advances were rebuffed by another young page, the King killed him and then sealed the royal court so that no one could escape, summoning the coun­try’s executioners.

He then ordered that the royal compound be sealed and guarded so that no one could escape and summoned the country’s executioners. Knowing what was coming, Charles Lwanga baptized four catechumens that night, includ­ing a thirteen-year-old named Kizito. The next morning Mwanga brought his whole court before him and separated the Christians from the rest by saying, “Those who do not pray stand by me, those who do pray stand over there.” He demanded of the fifteen boys and young men (all under 25) if they were Christians and intended to remain Chris­tians. When they answered “Yes” with strength and courage Mwanga condemned them to death.

The king sent the prisoners on a 37 mile trek to the place of execution at Namugongo, along which walk, three of the faithful were killed. Upon arriving at the execution site, the survivors were held captive for seven days. On June 3, the Christian captives – 13 of them Catholics, 11 Protestants – were brought out and executed. As they were burning to death, they called out the name of Jesus, proclaiming, “You can burn our bodies, but you cannot harm our souls.”