Marian shrine for Angolan diocese
Most of Angola’s dioceses have a Marian shrine. There is, however, an impoverished diocese in the northwest of the country that does not. ACN plans to help support the diocese in constructing a shrine to Our Lady of Victories.
By ACN Staff
Preparations for the construction of the diocesan Marian shrine. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
Almost every diocese in Angola has its own Marian shrine. The Catholic faithful in the country have a deep love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and profound devotion to her.
The beginning of the construction of the diocesan shrine to Our Lady of Victory in the village of Bungo. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
However, to the sadness of the faithful, the Diocese of Mbanza Congo, situated in a very impoverished region in the northwest of the country, still has no such shrine. And yet this was the very place in sub-Saharan Africa that witnessed the first ever Christian baptisms and where the first cathedral was built, right back in 1595.
In 2019, Bishop Vicente Carlos Kiaziku laid the foundation stone for a diocesan shrine to Our Lady of Victories in the village of Bungo, part of the parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Kikudo. Sadly, however, the coronavirus pandemic, added to the already existing desperate economic situation, tore up their careful financial planning, and the building work had to be suspended indefinitely. As for the Catholic faithful, already living in poverty before, they were now quite simply unable to help the Church anymore.
Nonetheless, this project is very dear to Bishop Kiaziku’s heart, for he is hoping it will lead to a deepening of faith and a strengthening of the people’s Catholic identity in the midst of intensive activity by the many sects, that are seeking to win away followers. The shrine is intended not only as a place of pilgrimage but also as a centre for retreats and faith formation activities. In short, a sort of spiritual centre for the diocese and a place that will exert a powerful influence on the faith life of the people, by helping them to mature and grow in their faith. At the same time, as the bishop explains, “It is intended as a symbol of the way in which the faithful can journey with Mary towards Christ and go to meet him together.”
We are proposing a contribution of €21,000 to support this project, which we believe will inspire renewed faith, hope, and love in many people. Will you help us?