Ethiopia. Our Lady as Covenant of Mercy.
The cathedral of Hawassa in southern Ethiopia is dedicated to Mary, with the name Covenant of Mercy or Kidane Mihiret. Let’s explore the Ethiopian devotion to Mary. In Ethiopia, there are two deeply rooted devotions: the Cross and Mary. Emperor Zera Yakob, who reigned between 1434 and 1468, and who was a great legislator in […]
The Shrine of Our Lady of Togo
Every year, thousands of pilgrims come to pray, meditate and ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The shrine is not only a place of Marian devotion, but also a symbol of unity for the Togolese people. Our Lady of Lake Togo, also known as Mother of Mercy, is a Marian shrine inaugurated in […]
Angola. Mama Muxima, The Mother of the Heart.
Every year, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Conception of Muxima welcomes around two million pilgrims from all over Angola and beyond. They arrive seeking spiritual nourishment, with deep faith in God and confidence in the intercession of Mama Muxima, the patron saint of the Sanctuary. About 130 kilometres separate Luanda from the sanctuary […]
Rwanda. A Spiritual Bonfire on the hearth of Africa.
Nestled in the charming hills of the southern part of Rwanda, we find the only approved Marian apparition site in Africa, ‘’Our Lady of Kibeho’’. Kibeho, meaning ‘’let it be’’ in the Kinyarwanda language, is a small parish in Gikongoro Diocese. Kibeho parish was founded in 1934 in the Nyaruguru district and is dedicated to […]
Popenguine, the ‘Lourdes’ of Senegal
On Pentecost Tuesday, 22 May 1888, a crowd of two hundred faithful arrived at the sanctuary of Popenguine on foot, on horseback and in pirogues to venerate Our Lady of Deliverance for the first time. Over more than a century, this pilgrimage, which now attracts nearly 100,000 people each year, has become one of the […]
Mission Diary. Renewed in the missionary vocation
Father Guillermo Aguiñaga Pantoja shares his experiences with the indigenous people of Sierra Zongolica, in the Veracruz region of eastern Mexico. I wish to share this missionary experience with you, not because it is more important than the others that God has granted me, but because it provided an opportunity to reinvent myself and learn […]
Witnesses of Jubilee. South Korea. Father Vincenzo Bordo, the gift of hope.
Father Vincenzo Bordo, missionary of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, has been working for over thirty years serving the poor in the suburbs of Seoul. “The greatest, most beautiful gift we can give is hope.” When he embarked for Seoul in 1990, many wondered what use a missionary could be in South Korea, one of […]
Herbs & Plants. Jatropha curcas – A multipurpose plant.
Jatropha curcas (Linnaeus); commonly referred to as Barbados nut, it is a perennial shrub or small tree belonging to the plant family Euphorbiaceae. The genus name Jatropha is derived from two Greek words jatr’os (doctor) and troh’e (food), indicating its valuable use in traditional medicine. The plant grows up to a height of 6m. Leaves […]
Reflection. Redouble Your Sense of Responsibility
Democracy, despite its struggles, offers a balance between truth and order through its diverse and participatory nature. However, modern technology and AI, if misused, could jeopardise this balance. Thus, there is a need for responsible digital governance to preserve democratic values. Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli historian, philosopher says in his new book Nexus (Penguin, […]
Adiós, Francisco.
Poverty, peace, creation and mercy are the four pillars of the intense adventure of the first Pope, called “from the far side of the world”. Peripheries always at the centre. Preference for the poorest. An outgoing Church. Starting from his choice of name, Bergoglio wanted to give a clear indication of what his pontificate […]