Upcoming Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Muxima Shrine “time of grace” in Angola: Official

He said that the event continues to serve as a unifying spiritual experience for the Angolan people.

“Our faith needs logistics and structure, yes, but even more so spirit and prayer. Muxima continues to be the heart of faith for the Angolan people,” he added.

The event has received full backing from the Quissama Administration and the Provincial Government of Icolo and Bengo. Engineer Francisco de Lemos, Deputy Administrator of Quissama, presented a detailed plan to support the massive gathering.

Installation of 120 public latrines and shower units, completion of a new worship area with parking for over 400 vehicles, organized commercial zones for food vendors and religious articles, shuttle transport services for the elderly and children from designated drop-off points, comprehensive security and crowd management strategies in coordination with local authorities, amongst others.

He said to enhance safety and efficiency, fees for parking and vendor stalls have been standardized to support maintenance and crowd control services.

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Considered the most popular place of pilgrimage and worship in Angola, the Shrine of Our Lady of Muxima is located some 130 kilometers from the country’s capital city, Luanda, and sits on the edge of the Kwanza River.

Every year, the Shrine attracts local and foreign pilgrims. In the local Kimbundu language, “Muxima” means heart, a name given to the Shrine due to its prime location in the middle (heart) of the province.

The village of Muxima was occupied by the Portuguese in 1589. They built a fortress and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Muxima.

A popular place of devotion to our Lady from one generation to the next, the Marian pilgrimage received a boost when Angola’s Diocese of Viana was created in 2007, inaugurating a new phase in the history of the Shrine.

“The pilgrimage to Muxima is not only a religious practice. It is a celebration of identity and unity for the Angolan people,” Fr. Cassule said. 

He noted that a smaller preparatory pilgrimage to Calumbo in May was used to build spiritual momentum toward the September event.

Special liturgical and pastoral activities during the three-day pilgrimage will include catechesis, Eucharistic adoration, praise and worship, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, offering pilgrims a full program of spiritual renewal. 

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate.