Thousands of Pilgrims Flock to Mugera Marian Shrine in Burundi

In the recent Bauchi local elections, the Labour Party (LP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), and African Action Congress (AAC) won key councillor seats, showcasing their growing influence in local governance.

On Thursday, multitudes of Christians from Burundi gathered at the Mugera Marian Shrine positioned in central location over 150 kilometers away from Bujumbura. This was to observe one of Catholic Church’s major holidays – Feast of the Assumption. Apart from its attractiveness as a tourist spot, it carries cultural value elucidated by Father Venant Mpozako who serves as rector on the shrine grounds.

Father Mpozako explained that the mountain had been revered as a sacred site prior to evangelization, owing to its status as a royal domain with deities who were believed to possess magical powers. Despite cautioning his followers against sorcery due to its deeply ingrained cultural significance, Father Mpozako often encountered ridicule from some of them. “The gods of Mugera were frequently consulted by the king,” he added.

Ahead of the 2025 elections in Burundi, a group of pilgrims have gathered to pray for a tranquil process. One such visitor is Ferdinand Manirakiza, who has made this trip numerous times before and walked over 70 kilometers to reach the shrine. In explaining his motivations, he expressed that he came here with hopes of interceding on behalf not only his family but also all others around him as well as praying for peace during what could be a tumultuous period known historically within their country’s past electoral events: “I came today solely seeking divine intervention from above so that our beloved nation may experience peaceful proceedings without any unnecessary conflicts.”

Accompanying the Burundian Christians on their journey were Congolese pilgrims, including those known as Pilgrims of Hope from Kisangani who had a special intention for the Virgin Mary. Father Trésor, one of them, conveyed their supplication: “As members of Archdiocese of Kisangani in the Democratic Republic Congo and Pilgrims of Hope, we implore God’s mercy upon our nation. Through Our Blessed Mother- The Mother Church Lady-of-the-Assumption-relay to us your motherly intuition and shield our land against any threatening warfare specifically in its Eastern region.”

The pilgrimage at Mugera saw the presence of Burundi’s distinguished figures, President Evariste Ndayishimiye and his spouse among them.

On August 15, 1961, the Mugera Marian Shrine was sanctified in front of Burundi’s independence protagonist Prince Louis Rwagasore and four Catholic bishops from the country. On an annual basis on this same day, roughly 200,000 pilgrims visit the shrine.