Port Louis, 29 July, 2025 / 9:35 am (ACI Africa).
Catholics in Mauritius have organized a national pilgrimage on September 8 to mark the 184th anniversary of the arrival of Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval in Mauritius and the 161st anniversary of his death, as part of the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year.
In a statement issued July 27, the Local Ordinary of the Catholic Diocese of Port Louis, Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône, said this year’s event is to highlight the legacy of Blessed Laval as an inspiring figure for the Church.
He said the 2025 theme, “With Blessed Laval, Let Us Be Pilgrims of Hope,” is a continuation of the Jubilee call to journey together in hope.
Bishop Durhône says the theme reflects “Laval’s deep spiritual commitment throughout his missionary life and his solidarity with the poor and marginalized of Mauritian society.”
“We want to draw inspiration from the hope that dwelled in Father Laval throughout his life, especially in his closeness to the poor,” the Mauritian Catholic Church leader says in reference to the French-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost Fathers/Spiritans/CSSp.), whose commitment to the evangelization mission in Mauritius earned him the name “Apostle of Mauritius.”
