Honour, celebrate and offer thanksgiving for the life, testimony, and martyrdom of Saint Janani Luwum, a Great 20th Role Model who Sacrificed all for Peace ST.
JANANI LUWUM MEMORIAL Celebrating, the Testimony, Martyrdom & Example of St. Janani
I. Overall objective of the Memorial
The overall objective of the Memorial is to honour, celebrate and offer thanksgiving for the Life, Testimony, Martyrdom and Example of St. Janani Luwum, as a preeminent Christian leader, a great martyr of the 20th Century, and a compelling role model for the world, regardless
of faith background. II. The Roots of the Martyr
St Janani hails from the Central Lwo people of the Nile Valley. He was born in 1924 in Mucwini, to Eliya Okello and Aireni Aciro Okello of Pajong, of the Chua clan. After attending Gulu High School, he trained as a school teacher at Boroboro College in Lira. St. Janani is a seed of the East African Revival. In a dramatic conversion, in January 1948, Lapwony Janani accepted Christ as his personal Saviour in the tradition of the Revival. At the urging of the Revival leadership, he accepted to leave teaching and enroll for Church ministry. The Revival leaders were eager to have the new Revival fire lit inside the established Church itself. After training at Buwalasi Theological College, he was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Upper Nile. He later pursued higher studies at St. Augustine’s College, Canterbury, and at London School of Divinity. Rev. Janani went on to occupy virtually all key positions in the Church. These included:
• Principal of Buwalasi Theological College
• Provincial Secretary for the ecclesiastical Province
• Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda
• Archbishop (Primate) of the ecclesiastical Province, then comprising Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire (Eastern DR Congo). On 16 February, 1977, Archbishop Janani Luwum was murdered in Nakasero by then president of Uganda, Idi Amin, following a period of great tension and ugly showdown with Amin and the regime. Soldiers secretly transported his desecrated body to Mucwini (his ancestral home and birthplace), and dumped it in a hurriedly-dug grave at the church yard at Wii Gweng, Mucwini, on 19 February. This has been St. Janani’s resting place ever since. Janani is survived by his widow, Mama Mary Luwum, six children, four sisters, two brothers, and several grandchildren. Today, the legacy and resonance of St. Janani’s life far transcend all levels of his personal heritage and the zone of his ecclesiastical stewardship. He has become a special gift from Uganda to the whole world. III. Leadership of St. Janani Luwum Memorial. We are very fortunate and grateful that Archbishop Stanley Ntagali; Archbishop John Baptist Odama; Archbishop John Sentamu; and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have accepted to serve as the high Patrons of ST. JANANI LUWUM MEMORIAL . This Memorial project is being led by a group of dedicated leaders, coming from various sectors and affiliations, from Uganda and abroad, who share a deep conviction to put in place appropriate Memorial to honour and celebrate the extraordinary testimony, martyrdom and example of Archbishop Janani Luwum. To this end, a legal charity, known as ST. JANANI LUWUM MEMORIAL, has been formed under a Board of Directors. The Board is led by: Professor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile (Chair); Hon. Justice James Ogoola, Hon. Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, Hon. Senator, Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Dr. Martin Aliker ( Vice-Chairs ). To ensure effective planning and organization of the annual pilgrimage, prayer and thanksgiving, and other memorial activities, a National Organising Committee (NOC) has been constituted, under the Co-Chair of: Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga; Rt. Hon Ruhakana Rugunda; Rt. Professor Apolo Nsibambi; Hon. Justice James Ogoola; Hon. Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior; Hon. Senator, Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o; and Ambassador Olara Otunnu. The Fundraising Campaign for St Janani Luwum Memorial is being led by Dr. Maggie Kigozi. Below are the account details:
Account Name: ST. JANANI LUWUM MEMORIAL
Bank Name: DFCU
Bank Branch: Acacia Branch, Kampala. Account Numbers:
01063552656052 (Uganda Shillings Account);
02063552656061 (US Dollars Account)
IV. Pilgrimage, Prayer and Thanksgiving, 16 February 2015.
2015 will mark the lift-off year for annual pilgrimage, prayer and thanksgiving for St. Janani Luwum. It will set 16 February as a major national and international occasion of grateful remembrance. The Memorial will take place at Wii Gweng, Mucwini (23 kilometers north of Kitgum Town), the resting-place and birth-place of the Martyr. The worship and thanksgiving at Wii Gweng will be ecumenical, led by Archbishop Stanley Ntagali (Chief Celebrant) and Archbishop John Baptist Odama (Chief Intercessor). We are honoured and proud to welcome, as the Chief Guest and the Memorial Preacher for the occasion, Ugandan-born Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu. There will be many national and international dignitaries in attendance, led by H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
