Hundreds of faithful thronged the Uganda Martyrs Shrine, Munyonyo, on Sunday, October 5, 2025, to mark the Feast of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Apostle of Divine Mercy. In his homily, Fr. Raymond Kalanzi urged Christians to strengthen their faith, surrender to God’s will, and deepen their devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ.

The celebration, which coincided with a Sunday, made the occasion even more special. Fr. Kalanzi opened his message by drawing from the day’s readings, linking them closely to the life and mission of St. Faustina. “In the book of Habakkuk, God commanded the prophet to write down every vision,” he said, “and St. Faustina did exactly that. She wrote every vision revealed to her by Jesus.”

Quoting from the second letter of St. Paul to Timothy, Fr. Kalanzi highlighted Faustina’s courage in testifying to the message of Divine Mercy. “She never moved an inch back,” he said. “Because of her, we now have devotion to the Merciful Jesus.”

Fr. Kalanzi, who has served in Uganda for 14 years, centered his homily on Divine Mercy and deliverance, cautioning against a growing misconception among believers that only those who perform exorcisms or display spiritual power bring life to the Church. “The devil is a liar,” he said. “Even in this very Mass, demons flee at the presence of Jesus. Deliverance is not about drama; it is about surrendering to the will of God.”

Citing several entries from St. Faustina’s Diary, Fr. Kalanzi explained her battles with spiritual darkness and her unwavering faith in God’s mercy. In Diary 1127, Faustina described a chilling encounter with the devil, who told her he was “looking for lazy souls”, a warning, Fr. Kalanzi noted, for those who waste time in idleness and distraction. He urged all the faithful to attend the Divine Mercy retreats every first Saturday of the month to learn about the Mercy of God and avoid laziness, which keeps them far from Christ.

“Do not think demons always appear with horns,” Fr. Kalanzi cautioned. “In Diary 405, a demon appeared to Faustina in the form of an angel, handsome and persuasive, telling her to stop praying for sinners. But Faustina made the sign of the cross, and he vanished. That is the power of faith.”

He encouraged the faithful to embrace the simple yet powerful acts of prayer, especially the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Sign of the Cross, as weapons against evil.

Reflecting on Diary 320, Fr. Kalanzi spoke of Faustina’s vision of black dogs symbolising demonic attacks. “She did not run or sprinkle holy water,” he said. “She began to pray, saying ‘Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son.’ That is where power lies.”

Fr. Kalanzi praised the Franciscan Conventuals at Munyonyo for fostering devotion to Divine Mercy and maintaining spaces of prayer and adoration. “This shrine has everything, the blood of the martyrs, the sons and daughters of St. Francis, and the spirit of Padre Pio,” he said. “When the great statue of the Divine Mercy is raised here, accidents will stop, and people will always be reminded of the Merciful Jesus.”

The Feast of St. Faustina, a Polish nun canonised in 2000 by Pope John Paul II, is celebrated worldwide on October 5. She is remembered for her Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, which records her mystical experiences and the message of Jesus’ infinite mercy to all humanity. She is known as the Secretary of Divine Mercy.

The Shrine Rector, Fr. Male, expressed gratitude to Fr. Raymond Kalanzi for consistently honouring invitations to celebrate with the Munyonyo community during the Feast of St. Faustina. He noted that the project to construct the Divine Mercy Statue is progressing in Poland, but appealed for additional financial support to cover transportation and tax expenses once the statue is ready for installation.

St Faustina is venerated within the church as the “Apostle of Divine Mercy”. Her tomb is in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary, Kraków, where she spent the end of her life