UGANDA: A STUNNING RAINBOW HALO APPEARS AROUND THE SUN AT ST. JANANI LUWUM MEMORIAL

22-degree halo

22-degree halo as caught by the camera at St. Janani Luwum memorial

“Those still doubting the Sainthood of Archbishop Janani Luwum should come out of their tents and see for themselves the miracle God has performed around the sun now. Luwum is a true Saint”

“It was a sad day to mourn our archbishop Janani Luwum. That day and the days that followed, Christians cried to God more than ever before. That was the beginning of the exit of Idi Amin. It united all forces opposed to his rule”

“Although he is physically dead, he is alive with Jesus in Heaven”.

KITGUM-UGANDA: Pilgrims and worshippers at the 41st memorial prayers for the 21st Century Martyr, St. Janani Luwum, were captivated on Friday February 16, 2018, by a  rare circular rainbow halo that wrapped itself around the sun at about 11.15 am local time (09.15 GMT).

This was at Wii-gweng village, Mucwini sub-county, Kitgum district in northern Uganda, about 440 kilometers north of Kampala, the capital City of Uganda. This is where the late Archbishop was buried forty one years ago.

Scientists describe the phenomenon as ‘22-degree halo’. The ring is caused by sunlight passing through ice crystals in cirrus clouds within the earth’s atmosphere. The crystals bend direct sunlight projecting it elsewhere into the sky, and at certain angel-usually at 22- degree.

The halo occurred when the Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church of Uganda, Stanley Ntagali, had just delivered his sermon and invited people who were accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior to move forward to the altar to receive blessings from God.

Bishop Johnson Gakumba of the Diocese of Northern Uganda was prompted to invite other pilgrims out in the tent to view what he called a “miracle” around the sun.

 “Those still doubting the Sainthood of Archbishop Janani Luwum should come out of their tents and see for themselves the miracle God has performed around the sun now. Luwum is a true Saint”, declared Bishop Gakumba as pilgrims streamed out with their phone cameras to take a picture or two of this rare occurrence.

Saint Janani Luwum was murdered on February 16, 1977 by Field Marshal Idi Amin, then President of Uganda, following a period of prolonged tension and ugly showdown with the Amin regime.

There is great devotion to St. Janani Luwum around the world. In many countries and churches, there is devoted celebration of his Life, Martyrdom, Testimony and Example.

The Church of England has accorded St. Janani Luwum special recognition and devotion. Their calendar observes February 17, as Festival of Janani Luwum. Canterbury Cathedral dedicated a special Chapel, 20th Century Martyrs Chapel, to the martyrdom of Archbishop Janani Luwum and the memory of other modern martyrs in 1978.

In 1988, Westminster Abbey unveiled St. Janani Luwum’s statue, as one of the ten Martyrs of the 20th Century so far recognized in the world. Others include Maximillian Kolbe (Catholic from Poland), Martin Luther King, Jr. (Baptist from USA), Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Lutheran from Germany) and Archbishop Oscar Romeo (catholic from El Salvador), among others.

St. Janani Luwum was born in 1922 in Mucwini, in northern Uganda. He trained as a teacher before enrolling for the church Ministry and was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Upper Nile. He was the bishop of diocese of Northern Uganda from 1969 to 1974.

He served as the Archbishop (Primate) of the Province of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga Zaire (Eastern RD Congo) from 1974 to February 1977.

Uganda’s dictator Gen. Yoweri Museveni declared February 16, a public holiday to give chance to workers to join in celebrating his memory and life.

Archbishop Ntagali observed that the blood of martyrs worldwide is the seed of the Church of Christ. He said when Luwum was murdered by Idi Amin, Christians cried to God more than ever before. He says it marked the beginning of the exit of Idi Amin from the political scene.

“It was a sad day to mourn our archbishop Janani Luwum. That day and the days that followed, Christians cried to God more than ever before. That was the beginning of the exit of Idi Amin. It united all forces opposed to his rule”, says Archbishop Ntagali, adding; “Although he is physically dead, he is alive with Jesus in Heaven”.

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