Patrons of Child Protection?

Today, June 3, the Church commemorates Charles Lwanga and his 26 companions, martyrs in Uganda during the late 19th century. Lwanga, a catechist, was burned to death for protecting the king’s male pages from giving in to his sexual demands. Every year, I wait for church leaders to use this occasion to issue a strong statement on the clergy sex abuse crisis.

In 2003, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith did note the feast day in its statement opposing homosexual unions. Apparently from their perspective, it was the homosexuality that was the more serious problem, not the Ugandan leader’s abuse of his power for his own gratification.

If the Vatican and the USCCB have yet to make the connection between the Ugandan martyrs and the clergy sex abuse crisis, a few individuals have done so.

Fr. Roger Landry, of the Fall River Diocese in Massachusetts, has an extensive biography of these martyrs in his column for The Anchor from June 5, 2009. He writes:

Since the time I re-read their story of their martyrdom in 2002, I have prayed to them as intercessors to help all Catholics in our country — bishops, priests and lay people — imitate their courage, fidelity to Christ, and total refusal to allow sexual sins to be perpetrated against the young.

At the Restorative Justice Initiative conference at Marquette University in April 2011, Capuchin John Celichowski also proposed the Ugandan martyrs as patrons of the church’s need to right the wrong that has been done:

The church, for example, might consider adopting a patron saint for victims and survivors of sexual abuse. St. Charles Lwanga and companions, the 19th century Ugandan martyrs, were young men and boys who were killed by their king in large part because they resisted his abuse, claiming that their Christian faith would not allow them to consent to it.

The Ugandan martyrs were relatively new to the Christian faith, on fire with their love for God and the gospel message. What must they think of a church in which long-established leaders chose (and continue to choose) protection of reputations and assets over protection of innocent victims?

Fr. Landry writes: “All of these martyrs could have easily chosen another path. They were among the few chosen ones in the king’s service. Joseph Mukasa and Charles Lwanga could have simply looked the other way when King Mwanga was going after the pages, become even more powerful in the kingdom, and saved their lives.” What must those martyrs think of a cardinal who did in fact look the other way and ended up being promoted?

Charles Lwanga, pray for those who stand with the victims of clergy sex abuse. Pray for those who work every day to ensure that children today and tomorrow will be protected from such abuse. And pray as well for those who fail to do so.

Diane M. Houdek is Digital Editor for St. Anthony Messenger Press. She is the editor of AmericanCatholic.org and Bringing Home the Word. She has edited Weekday Homily Helps since 1994. She is an avid knitter and spinner and shares her home with three large and rambunctious dogs. Born and raised in Wisconsin, she has tried her hand at urban farming and a host of other pursuits and hobbies. blog comments powered by

View the original article here

A Child of God

While attending a Cincinnati Reds baseball game my husband called out to a vendor because he wanted ball park peanuts. While paying the vendor he told my husband thank you and that he was his first customer, ever. Having been in sales for many years, both of us thought his comment would probably be the beginning of fresh new experiences for him because we could remember our first sales. This peanut vendor’s comment made me realize how much life offers us many new beginnings. First kiss, first job, first love – I am sure you can think of many first in your life.

As a child I can remember telling my mother that Jesus was in my heart, I knew it because I was told that he lived there. As an adult I stopped going to Church because life got in the way. But I knew Jesus lived in my heart. Please understand I knew Jesus lived in my heart but I did not have what I would call a personal connection.

After my daughter was born I knew I wanted her brought up in Church. I wanted her to have Jesus in her heart, too. Each week we would put on our “Sunday best” and head to church. There we would greet our friends, sing songs, listen to the pastor and go home. As my understanding of scripture grew, I began to open myself in prayer and to God’s presence. I knew that I was a child of God and I longed for that personal relationship.

One beautiful Sunday morning as a congregation we sang the old hymn “How Great Thou Art.” As I sang, I had this most amazing sense of peace, almost like I was physically sighing.  I knew something special was happening to me as I opened myself up to the presence of God. Truly, How Great Thou Art, O Lord! This first sense of being a child of God on a personal level will always be a memorable moment for me.

As you go about with your busy day think about the many firsts in your life. Be thankful for the memories, they are what made you the special person you are today!

If the daily grind of life is interrupting your spirituality you might try reading Spirituality You Can Live With, Stronger Faith in 30 Days. It’s a low-key guide for those interested in habits of holiness they can actually maintain amid the frantic pace of daily life.

******
Featured image: © Jacek Chabraszewski/photoXpress

Tammy Monjaras serves the St. Anthony Messenger Press as the Division Director of Customer Satisfaction. As an avid reader herself she loves speaking to customers about the latest books St. Anthony Messenger Press offers. Tammy is a native Texan but has called Cincinnati home for the past 15 years with her husband Richard, three children and 2 grandchildren. blog comments powered by

View the original article here