Who Are the Franciscan Friars at Munyonyo Martyrs’ Shrine?

The Conventual Franciscan Friars—also known as the Greyfriars—have been entrusted with overseeing the Munyonyo Martyrs’ Shrine and the associated parish since October 2013 

They established a friary next to the shrine in October 2017, responding to a request by the Archbishop of Kampala for them to develop and promote the site of martyrdom of Saints Andrew Kaggwa, Denis Ssebugwawo, and Pontiano Ngondwe . In January 2023, they further expanded by constructing a post-novitiate house for philosophy studies on the same grounds

Kampala – Munyonyo: St. Francis of Assisi Friary and Uganda Martyrs Shrine

 The friary was erected on October 22, 2017
In 2017 the Archbishop of Kampala asked the friars to develop and promote the site where Saints Andrew Kaggwa (Patron Saint of Catechists), Denis Ssebugwawo (Patron Saint of Choirs) and Pontian Ngondwe (Patron Saint of Soldiers) were martyred in 1886, and where Charles Lwanga and companions began their trek towards martyrdom.
After the friars erected the Shrine of Munyonyo, its pastoral care was entrusted to the Order. In 2019, the shrine was elevated to a minor basilica through the consecration of His Eminence Cardinal Robert SARAH, then Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The friars here have been serving the local parishioners as well as the many pilgrims who come to this holy site, consecrated by the noble blood of the martyrs who died here. The friary was built next to the shrine and on January 8, 2023, a post-novitiate house for philosophy studies was erected.

Foundation of the Friary

On October 22, 2017, the St. Francis of Assisi Friary was officially erected in Munyonyo. Its establishment followed a request by the Archbishop of Kampala, who invited the Franciscan Friars to take on the mission of developing and promoting this historic and sacred place.

This is the site where in 1886, several of the Uganda Martyrs embraced their martyrdom:

• St. Andrew Kaggwa – Patron Saint of Catechists

• St. Denis Ssebugwawo – Patron Saint of Choirs

• St. Pontian Ngondwe – Patron Saint of Soldiers

It is also here that St. Charles Lwanga and companions began their final journey toward martyrdom, leaving Munyonyo for Namugongo.

The Shrine and Its Pastoral Mission

After the friars erected the Uganda Martyrs Shrine of Munyonyo, its pastoral care and spiritual programs were entrusted to their Order. Since then, the Franciscan Friars have been faithfully serving both the local parishioners and the countless pilgrims who come to venerate the martyrs and draw strength from their sacrifice.

In 2019, a milestone in the shrine’s history was reached when it was elevated to the status of a Minor Basilica. The consecration ceremony was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Robert Sarah, then Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. This recognition affirmed Munyonyo’s role as a place of deep faith, prayer, and international pilgrimage.

Growth and Formation

In addition to serving as a spiritual hub, Munyonyo has also become a center for Franciscan formation. On January 8, 2023, the friars opened a post-novitiate house for philosophical studies, allowing young friars to grow in knowledge and faith while living at the very site sanctified by the blood of the martyrs.

A Living Witness of Faith

Today, the St. Francis of Assisi Friary and the Uganda Martyrs Basilica in Munyonyo stand as living testimonies of Christian courage and devotion. The friars continue to foster prayer, catechesis, liturgy, and hospitality for the ever-growing number of pilgrims.

Munyonyo remains not only a memorial to the Uganda Martyrs but also a beacon of faith for the Church in Africa and beyond, where sacrifice, mission, and renewal converge in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi and the heroic martyrs of Uganda.

ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.