Religious celebrate Year of Consecrated Life at Our Lady of Muxima

Hundreds of Catholics joined the religious in Angola for a two days Marian pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Muxima to celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life. The event which concluded last Sunday, 19 July ended with the Bishop emeritus of Lubango, Zacarias Kamuenho calling for the strengthening of the vocation to Consecrated Life in Angola.

The Angolan pilgrimage was organised by the Conference of Major Superiors of religious institutes and congregations in the country to celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life, declared by Pope Francis. The special Year of Consecrated Life officially opened world-wide on 30 November 2014 and will conclude on 2 February 2016.

The pilgrimage was characterised by the presence of many laity who accompanied the religious men and women who are in consecrated life. The life of consecrated persons was articulated through the celebration of the Eucharist, prayers, devotion to Our Lady, celebration of the Sacrament of Confession and numerous testimonies given by the religious on their lives.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Muxima is located 130 kilometers from the capital, Luanda. The Shrine is considered to be the most popular place of pilgrimage and worship in Angola.

Our Lady of Muxima has always had a special place in the lives of Catholics in Angolans. Situated on the banks of the Kwanza River, it was first designated as a place of Marian prayer by Portuguese missionaries between 1594 and 1602.

Set in the village of Muxima which was occupied by the Portuguese in 1589, the Portuguese went on to build (in the village), a fortress and later the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and a Shrine. Since then, the Shrine has been a popular place of devotion to Our Lady from one generation to the next.

In the local Kimbundu language, “muxima" means heart. A project to construct a basilica designed to accommodate 4000 people inside and 120 thousand persons outside the square front of the basilica is underway.

(Vatican Radio, Portuguese pgm)

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