No ‘holy’ water this year
Thousands of pilgrims continue to flood Namugongo Martyrs shrine ahead of celebrations on June 3rd 2022.
By Wednesday morning, records from the pilgrim’s registration desk at both the Catholic and Anglican show that over 3000 pilgrims had arrived.
Thousands of pilgrims from within and outside Uganda annually descend on Namugongo, the site where the majority of the converts were martyred in celebration of their bravery on June 3rd.
However, its sad news for those who walked hundreds of kilometers just for the famous ‘healing’ and miracle working holy water.
Rev Esau Bbossa Kimanje, the Principal Anglican matters site in Namugongo says ‘holy’ water will not be made accessible to pilgrims because the area where it is located has been cordoned off due to construction works.
Rev. Kimanje says pilgrims should lower their expectations until the next celebrations when the area will be accessible.
“We usually have holy water, not only Anglicans, but majority of pilgrims who fetch this water are Catholics who believe too much in that water, because it does wonders in that water, but am sorry to announce that this time, no one will access this water because the place has been cordoned off because it is under construction and we cannot access where water is fetched from,” Kimanje explains
He has also warned pilgrims not to fall prey to sneaky individuals claiming they have access to holy water at a cost of money.
Several pilgrims have already confessed to paying between 10,000-80,000 shillings to individuals claiming they know routes to accessing the water. Betty Nakibuka, a Catholic pilgrim says a man approached her with such an offer and she paid 30.000 shillings for a 3 liter jerry can of holy water.
Nakibuka however says much as she received the water, she is unsure now whether its Holy or ordinary.
Several pilgrims who flock Namugongo fetch this ‘holy’ water because they believe it contains healing and miraculous properties that many have testified to.
As a norm, pilgrims travel with jerry cans to get this water used for sprinkling it at their homes and business for blessings. Pilgrims who prefer drinking the water have been advised to first boil it.
No ‘holy’ water this year
In 2019, Fr Vincent Lubega, the parish priest in charge of Namugongo Catholic shrines, said that the ‘holy water’ from the Martyrs’ man made lake would be treated by National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to check if it serves the purpose of drinking.
The shrine’s secretariat requested NWSC to conduct tests on the water after a study conducted by the Department of Biochemistry Makerere University indicated that the water contains pathogenic micro -organisms such as E.coli, and Coliforms, a type of bacteria known to cause diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, abdominal pain, and fever.
However, in 2020, the government canceled the celebrations while in 2021 the church organized a low-key event with a limited number of Christians invited due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
This year’s martyrs day celebrations are being held under the theme ‘Hope After Affliction’.
