Maputo, 13 October, 2025 / 4:59 pm (ACI Africa).
Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes of Mozambique’s Catholic Archdiocese of Maputo has called on pilgrims to bring back to their homes and parishes the spirit of faith, service, and hope they experienced during the annual Marian Pilgrimage at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Namaacha.
In his homily during the closing Mass of the October 10–12 pilgrimage, Archbishop Nunes emphasized that Christian faith must be lived out through tangible acts of love, prayer, and commitment within families and communities.
“May our families be homes of prayer and sharing. May our parishes be schools of service and hope. Be witnesses of living faith amid difficulties—witnesses of hope,” the Mozambican Catholic Archbishop said during the October 12 Eucharistic celebration.
He invited the pilgrims to emulate the Virgin Mary, who went “in haste” to assist her cousin Elizabeth, saying, “Mary does not think of herself but of those in need. Her love is active, concrete, and discreet. We too are called to serve our families, communities, and parishes with the same generous heart as Mary.”
The Catholic Church leader acknowledged the effort and sacrifice of each pilgrim who, despite the heat and fatigue, continued walking in faith and hope. He said, “Many walked long distances, made great efforts, faced the heat—it’s not cool this October, is it? All of that is a living expression of faith, a faith that becomes a journey, a prayer, an offering.”
