Janani Luwum and Elizabeth of Russia

Janani Luwum - Anglican, Archbishop Born 1922 - Died 17th February 1977

Born in Kitgum District of Uganda and converted to Christianity in 1948. In 1954 he was ordained a priest. He was consecrated bishop in 1961 and in 1966 became Archbishop of Uganda, Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi.

A critic of the regime of Idi Amin from its start in 1971, in 1977 he delivered a not to the President complaining about the arbitary killings and disappearances blamed on the brutal regime of the dictator. Luwum was arrested on 16th February 1977. He was accused of being an agent of the exiled president, and plotting a coup. It was annouced the following day, that he had been killed in a car crash while being taken to an interogation centre, while attempting to escape.

When his body was released it was bullet ridden and it is possible that he was killed by Amin himself.

Elizabeth of Russia - Russian Orthodox, Religious Born November 1st 1864 - Died July 18th 1918

A princess of the House of Hess in Germany and granddaughter of Queen Victoria , she was greatly admired for her beauty by many of the most eligble batchelors of Europe when she came of age. She ultimately married Grand Duke Sergei of Russia in 1884. They had a happy, though childless, marriage and lived in Moscow where Sergei was Governor General. Her position in the Royal Family was further cemented when her sister Alex became the Tsarina ( the last to hold the title )

Her happiness was shattered in February 1905 when Sergei was assasinated. In 1909 she sold all her clothes and jewelery in aid of the Sisters of Martha and Mary and entered their convent as its abbess. It was from here that she carried out works of charity until in 1918, Lenin ordered her arrest.

In July, she was take to Yekatrinburg and was killed by the Bolsheviks. They threw her and her companions ( including some minor royals ) into a mineshaft. The fall did not kill her outright, although she did die of her injuries. That is not before she bandaged the wounds of a fellow victim. Her remains were found by the advancing White Russian army and taken to Jerusalem to be buried.

She was canonised by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1992.