Later, the late Archibishop Luwum was declared by the Church of England one of the most influential martyrs of the 20th century. A memorial stands to this day inside Westminster Abbey in London.
Each year, a mass choir is assembled, made up of choirs from all over the Diocese of Kitgum (which spans across 4 political districts). Marianne had the great privelege of taking part in this mass choir for the first time. The choir set off early in the morning from Pader on February 15th, piling into a pick-up truck, to be in time for the mass choir rehearsals, which ran from about 10 am to sunset on the day before the big event.
There's nothing really like being part of a mass choir. This one was about 300 strong. There was a real feeling of unity in that group. It was so encouraging that there was not only choir from the Acholi sub-region, but also from Lira, which is primarily of the Langi tribe. During war time, there had been tension between Acholi and Langi - but there in the choir, there was only praise and joy. And short-term mission teams had also been dispatched from Mukono Christian University, which gathers students from all over Uganda. People from all tribes had come to Northern Uganda, going door-to-door to tell people the good news of what Jesus has done for them. Truly, this unity is a gift from God.