Marian Cult in Angola: Our Lady of the Conception of Muxima or Mamã Muxima

Abstract

In this work, we will explore the popular construction of the cult and devotion to Our Lady of the Conception of Muxima, or “Mamã Muxima,” as she is known by the local population, whose church is currently located in the village of Muxima, in the municipality of Kissama, Angola. As we will attempt to explain, based on reports and writings, for many centuries the church and the image of the Saint were largely neglected, maintained precariously by the local population, who were also responsible for creating myths surrounding the Saint. With the increase in the number of manifestations, pilgrimages, and devotions, evidenced by thousands of letters at the feet of the Saint, the local ecclesiastical authority legitimized Marian worship in the Church. Today, the “Sanctuary of Mamã Muxima” is a site of annual pilgrimage, receiving thousands of Catholic faithful from Angola and other nations, attracting the attention of Angolan political power. The cult of the Saint attracted so much attention from authorities that, in 2022, the State and the Catholic Church joined forces to lay the foundation stone for the Basilica of Our Lady of the Conception of Vila da Muxima, currently considered the most venerated and popular patron saint in Angola and throughout Africa. The event is little known in the history of religion in Brazil. Therefore, one of the central objectives of this work is to highlight the specificity of Marian worship in Angola, focusing on the power of
oral tradition in the propagation of Catholic worship.