The pilgrimage opened with an evening vigil on December 5 that drew a large, patient, and prayerful crowd for the Stations of the Cross, praise and worship, adoration, Divine Mercy devotions, and a healing and anointing service.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
The vigil concluded with Holy Eucharist that was presided over by Fr. Solomon Gbaki, a member of the Religious Institute of Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB).
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
On December 6, thousands of pilgrims took part in a solemn rosary procession from Moulton Corner to the shrine entrance.
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Along the route, members of the Legion of Mary offered live reflections and spiritual commentary, which were broadcast on Radio Maria Liberia and streamed on the station’s social media platforms, allowing thousands more faithful to participate virtually in the prayerful journey.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
Community outreach emerged as a defining feature of the pilgrimage.
SDB members distributed free bottled water to pilgrims—an act of hospitality that was widely praised for its timely service to participants.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
The Knights and Ladies of Marshall distributed scapulars blessed by Archbishop Jubwe to mark the opening of the Knights’ centenary celebrations.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
Liberia State Grand Knight Worthy Brother S. Clarance Borbordee told pilgrims, “We distribute this scapular, which is a simple yet powerful sign of Mary’s protection. May this scapular strengthen your faith, deepen your devotion, and draw you under Our Lady’s loving care. May this pilgrimage remind us that hope is our shared gift and peace our shared responsibility.”
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
Pilgrims later received the Sacrament of Reconciliation before joining a festive Mass celebrated by Archbishop Jubwe and concelebrated by about 30 Priests, including the Secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
In his homily, Archbishop Jubwe urged the faithful to embrace forgiveness and interior renewal.
Archbishop Gabriel Blamo Snosio Jubwe. Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
“In calling us to forgiveness and personal transformation, Mary shows us the way to rebuild our relationship with God and one another,” he said. “Nothing is impossible for God; let us renew our hearts and work together for justice and unity,” the Archbishop said.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
In the December 18 interview with ACI Africa, D’Souza highlighted the participation of children from Oscar Romero School for the Deaf - an institution providing vocational skills training for persons with disabilities, particularly the deaf and hard of hearing (HOH)- who actively participated in the celebrations.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
One of the school’s senior students, he said, translated the Archbishop’s homily into sign language.
Beyond personal reflection, the Indian-born Cooperator of the SDB Religious Institute said the pilgrimage carried an important message for a divided world.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
“This pilgrimage reminds us that faith alone can bring discipline, compassion, and unity,” he said, adding, “When people place their trust in God and believe in something greater than themselves, they learn patience and empathy.”
In a fast-paced and often polarized global context, he said, pilgrimages invite people to “slow down, endure together, respect one another’s journeys, and live with renewed faith and hope.”
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
Offering a candid personal reflection, D’Souza acknowledged that the experience challenged his own understanding of faith.
“The faith I witnessed here was raw and deeply personal. It was not expressed through structures or programs, but through endurance, sacrifice, and silent surrender. At some moments,” he said.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
D’Souza added, “I felt they had more faith than I did—not because they spoke more about it, but because they lived it so completely.”
The Our Lady Queen of Peace Shrine, established after Liberia’s civil war by the late Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis and designated an Archdiocesan Pilgrimage Centre in 2000, remains a focal point of Marian devotion and national reconciliation.
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
The annual pilgrimage continues to draw thousands each year in prayer, reflection, and communal solidarity.
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Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
Wilfred Lawrence D’Souza during the pilgrimage Mass. Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
Archbishop Gabriel Blamo Snosio Jubwe. Credit: Radio Maria Liberia/St. Joseph Parish Media Team
