---
title: "St. Charles Lwanga and Companions: Feast Day June 3 · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/saints/st-charles-lwanga-and-companions/
description: "St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs of Uganda, patron of African youth. Feast day June 3. Read their life in Bless."
---

Martyrs of Uganda · Feast day June 3

# St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

The feast day of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions is June 3, a memorial in the US Catholic calendar. Traditionally invoked as patron of African youth.

|  |  |
|---|---|
| Feast day | [June 3](https://blessbible.app/saints/june/#3) |
| In the US calendar | Memorial |
| Title | Martyrs of Uganda |
| Died | 1886 |
| Patron of | [African youth](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#african-youth) |
| Next on Bless’s Today screen | [Thursday, June 3, 2027](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-charles-lwanga-and-companions/#calendar) |

## Life

Pages and officials of the court of Buganda, converts of the White Fathers’ young mission, who resisted the predations of King Mwanga and would not renounce the faith. Charles Lwanga, master of the pages, baptized the youngest of them the night before dying.

Twenty-two Catholics — with Anglican companions beside them — were speared or burned alive at Namugongo, the youngest, Kizito, about fourteen, laughing and praying in the fire. Within a generation, the Church in Uganda numbered hundreds of thousands.

## Patron of

Tradition invokes St. Charles Lwanga and Companions as patron of African youth.

[African youth](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/#african-youth)

Patronages are traditional, not an official list. [All patron saints in Bless, A to Z](https://blessbible.app/patron-saints/).

## In the calendar

The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Charles Lwanga and Companions. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given.

| Date | In the US calendar | Color | Mass readings (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Thursday, June 3, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/06/03/) | St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial) | Red | Tobit 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a · Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 · See 2 Timothy 1:10 · Mark 12:28-34 |
| [Saturday, June 3, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/06/03/) | St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial) | Red | Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 · Psalm 11:4, 5 and 7 · John 16:7, 13 · John 21:20-25 |

Readings

Later citations were computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

[June 2 Sts. Marcellinus and Peter](https://blessbible.app/saints/sts-marcellinus-and-peter/) [June 4 St. Francis Caracciolo](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-francis-caracciolo/)

[All the saints of June](https://blessbible.app/saints/june/) [Born on June 3?](https://blessbible.app/saints/birthday/#06-03) [A saint for every day](https://blessbible.app/saints/)

Spotted a mistake in a date, a patronage or a quotation? [Report an error](https://blessbible.app/support/#report) and we’ll fix it in the app and here.

St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

Feast day June 3

On this page

1. [Life](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-charles-lwanga-and-companions/#life)
2. [Patron of](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-charles-lwanga-and-companions/#patron)
3. [In the calendar](https://blessbible.app/saints/st-charles-lwanga-and-companions/#calendar)

In the app

Bless shows a saint every day on its Today screen, with their life and their words. Free on iPhone.