Faith Under Pressure · Week 1 · Grades 9–12
Guided Notes: St. Charles Lwanga
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
Buganda in the 1880s
Buganda, on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, was one of the strongest kingdoms in East Africa. Its king, the kabaka, ruled through chiefs and a large court. Serving there as a blank 1 was a path to high office for talented young men.
Kabaka Mutesa I allowed Muslim traders, Anglican missionaries and, from blank 2, the Catholic White Fathers to teach at his court. Many pages became eager students of Christianity.
Mutesa died in blank 3. His son Mwanga II took the throne as a young man, just as European powers were dividing Africa among themselves. He had reason to fear for his kingdom, and he came to see the Christians at court as a threat.
The Uganda Martyrs
Write what happened at each point.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1879 | Write your answer |
| 1884 | Write your answer |
| October 1885 | Write your answer |
| November 1885 | Write your answer |
| May 1886 | Write your answer |
| June 3, 1886 | Write your answer |
| 1920 | Write your answer |
| 1964 | Write your answer |
Refusing the king
Mwanga sexually exploited the young men who served him. The Christian pages refused him, and Joseph Mukasa, the senior blank 4 at court, rebuked him for it and for the killing of Bishop Hannington. Mukasa was executed.
Charles Lwanga took Mukasa’s place as head of the pages. For months he kept the younger ones out of the king’s reach and went on teaching them the faith.
In late May 1886 the king’s anger broke. He assembled the pages and ordered those who prayed to stand apart. Charles went first. The youngest, blank 5, was about 14. They were given chances to renounce their faith and declined, and on June 3 they were put to death at Namugongo.
Apply it
The pages served Mwanga faithfully yet refused him. Which principle best explains their choice? Circle one.
- A A Christian owes nothing to rulers who are not Christian
- B Obedience to authority is always a matter of personal taste
- C Rulers lose all their authority once they commit a sin
- D Authority must be obeyed, except when it commands sin
Why is that the right answer?
Apply it
Someone with status keeps pressuring a younger student for private photos. What would acting like Charles look like? Circle one.
- A Staying out of it, since it is not your business
- B Standing with the student and telling a trusted adult
- C Posting the story publicly to shame the person
- D Advising the student to give in just this once
Why is that the right answer?
Take a side
Joseph Mukasa confronted the king openly. Charles Lwanga worked quietly for months to protect the pages, then refused when the test came. Resolved: when an authority does serious wrong, quiet refusal is not enough. You must speak out publicly.
My side: ☐ Agree ☐ Disagree
- Mukasa’s rebuke cost his life at once. Did it accomplish what he hoped?
- Charles’s quiet months gave the pages time to prepare. Was that prudence or delay?
- Does the answer change with how much power you have and who depends on you?
- Online, speaking out is easy and cheap. Is a public post the same thing as Mukasa’s rebuke?
- When is reporting to someone who can act better than calling someone out?
My strongest reason, with evidence from the slides:
The best argument for the other side, and my response:
Let us pray
Lord Jesus, you were the strength of your martyrs in Uganda.
Form our consciences in your truth, and give us courage to follow them.
Make us defenders of everyone whose dignity is threatened.
St. Charles Lwanga and companions, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Go and hold your ground
Each year on June 3, pilgrims from across Africa gather at Namugongo, many after walking for days, to honor Charles Lwanga and his companions.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Charles Lwanga shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Decide in advance on one line you will not cross, online or in person, whoever asks. Then tell one friend, so that you do not have to hold it alone.