“Behold the dwelling place of the Most High God among men”. It has pleased the Holy Triune God and our Mother Thrice Admirable (MTA) to dwell among men of good will in the Marian Shrine of Most Sion, Bula, Catholic Diocese of Uvira in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, through the instrumentality of the Schoenstatt Movement. Through the divine initiative, they erected the first Schoenstatt Marian Shrine dedicated to God, where our Mother Thrice Admirable Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt will continually distribute her graces of home, inner transformation, and apostolic fruitfulness.
On September 8th and the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (usually the Feast of Mary’s Birth), Divine Providence allowed the People of God to dedicate this Cenacle to the Triune God and to the MTA.
The celebration was presided over by the Vicar General of the Diocese, Monsignor Honoré Barhebwa, who represented the Bishop and celebrated the Holy Mass. The General Superior of the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Fathers, Father Alexandre Awi Mello, accompanied him along with many priests and religious men and women, countless faithful, and some dignitaries.
The Shrine, a special place for the country
The celebration began with a long procession of about 20 minutes from the sacristy to the Shrine where the Holy Mass was celebrated. At the beginning of the Mass, the Superior Delegate of the Schoenstatt Fathers, Fr. Coyitungiye Hermenegilde, greeted everyone present and thanked those who had contributed in many ways to the construction of this Marian Shrine and to making this day what it is.
In his homily, the main celebrant emphasized the importance of the Marian Shrine in each person’s life, for all Christians and especially for us Schoenstatters. Linking this importance to the liturgical readings of the day, he referred to the Shrine as a place where God heals us from any form of deformity of the spiritual senses so that we can feel the presence of God, the MTA, and our Founder, hear the voice of God as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, see the glory of God, and go out to proclaim the Good News that God has made everything good.
A gift for the continent
After the profession of faith, we continued with the rite of dedication. The liturgy was dignified and joyful, with the choir singing like a host of angels. The General Superior, Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, in his homily, thanked everyone for their active participation and presence since the beginning of the Schoenstatt Movement in the country and urged us all to be zealous in our daily efforts and to contribute to the capital of grace of our MTA.
The Delegate Superior announced Fr. Emmanuel Kahavu as the Rector of the newly blessed Marian Shrine and Deac. Claver Karakura as the Vice-Rector of the Shrine.
After Holy Mass, there was a reception where everyone enjoyed the excellent food and drinks. It was a milestone in the history of the Schoenstatt Movement as far as Mount Sion Bula is concerned. It was a wonderful work of God, and we are the beneficiaries and witnesses of these blessings and graces.
