Archbishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias closes pilgrimage to Muxima Shrine

Archbishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias urged thousands of Catholic pilgrims to transform their faith into action during the closing Mass of the annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception of Muxima. During the Sunday, September 6 Eucharistic celebration, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Luanda told those gathered at the shrine, locally known as Mamã Muxima, that the journey must result in inner change rather than just traveling a distance.

Archbishop Dias said the true meaning of the pilgrimage lies in how it inspires Christians to open their hearts to God and move beyond themselves. He encouraged pilgrims to return to their families and pastoral communities with a renewed readiness to serve, telling them not to return the same as when they arrived. He noted that the spiritual enthusiasm experienced at the shrine should produce tangible changes in how people live and relate to others once they leave.