Saint GYAVIIRA

Saint GYAVIIRA

Nom: Mayanja Musoke

Prénom: Gyaviira

Pays: Ouganda

Naissance:

Mort: 03.06.1886 à Namagongo

Etat: Laïc - Martyr du Groupe des 22 martyrs de l’Ouganda 2

Note: Surnommé “le bon garçon de courses”.

Béatification: 06.06.1920 à Rome par Benoît XV

Canonisation: 18.10.1964 à Rome par Paul VI

Fête: 3 juin

Réf. dans l’Osservatore Romano:

Réf. dans la Documentation Catholique: 1964 col.1345-1352

Gyaviira Mayanja Musoke was a Muganda of the Lung-fish (Mamba) clan. He was a page under the command of Charles Lwanga. His main job was a messenger. He was quick, accurate, trustworthy and he hated back-biting.

Gyaviira is a nick name which means ‘the place where he comes from is feared.’ This is referred to his place of origin, Seguku, along Kampala-Entebbe road. His father Ssemalago was a guardian of the important shrine and a famous priest to god Mayanja (a special leopard).

He also gave the name Mayanja to his beloved son Gyaviira whom he was planning to take over the office in future. He had learnt a lot of tactics concerning witchcraft.

But when Musoke was taken to the palace to serve as a page, Charles Lwanga miraculously converted him to Catholicism to a point of abandoning and all his witchcraft and charms and burning them up.

His parents heard of it and ordered him not to do so; to choose between his ancestor’s religion or being thrown out of the clan. He chose the latter, never turning back. Thus Gyaviira was totally thrown out of his clan. He was happy to suffer for Christ.

But on one day when h was splitting wood with Mukasa Kiriwawanvu, who was extra-ordinarily tall, the boy wanted to enjoy the fun of calling him Magulumpaali (long-legged).Kiriwawanvu was so annoyed that in turn he beat Musoke up whom I turn accused him to the king. The King imprisoned Mukasa at Bumbale prison as a punishment.

When the Christian persecution broke out, on their way to Namugongo, Gyaviira and Kiriwawanvu forgave each other and encouraged each other to die for Christ.

Gyaviira was burnt to death at Namugongo, Thursday noon 3rd June, 1886 at the age of 17.

Gyaviira is the patron saint of traffic communications and those troubled by witchcrafts.