MAMÃ MUXIMA

This shrine and the image of Nossa Senhora da Muxima are the object of great devotion by Angolan Catholics, from generation to generation. Fondly known as Mamã Muxima, she is the most popular and venerated saint in the whole country. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit her every year. This devotion increased at the end of the ^19th century, when the region was seriously affected by African trypanosomiasis or "sleeping sickness". This plague decimated entire communities in the Kwanza region. Pilgrims travel great distances to lay down their offerings in compensation for the saint's efforts, and to "converse" with Mamã Muxima . According to popular legend, Mamã Muxima appeared twice in the early ^16th century. Legends, miracles, beliefs and contradictory accounts all overlap and have made Muxima a magnet for the hearts of millions of visitors over the last few centuries. They talk to her, confide their secrets to her, ask her to protect their children, grant their wishes, and so on...

A five-day pilgrimage is organized every year between late August and early September, culminating in a gigantic mass on September 8. It is the largest pilgrimage in Angola.

The place was probably already venerated by the local population before the arrival of the Portuguese and the construction of the church. This would not be the first case of religious authorities appropriating a sacred site.