Archdiocese Of Pretoria Resumes Annual Pilgrimage on the Feast of the Assumption

by Daluxolo Moloantoa · Published August 21, 2023 · Updated August 21, 2023

The Archdiocese of Pretoria celebrated the Feast of the Assumption at Mary Assumed into Heaven Church in Jonathan Village, west of Brits in yesterday.

The archdiocese hosts the annual pilgrimage at the church each year to celebrate the feast day. The occasion marked a resumption of the pilgrimage after a three-year hiatus since the advent of the covid-19 pandemic.

The morning began with three thousand pilgrims praying in turns at the church grotto, others going for confession with several priests in the church and others praying the rosary in the gigantic shelter created especially for the annual pilgrimage.

This was followed by Holy Mass, concelebrated by the archbishop of Pretoria Dabula Anthony Mpako alongside Auxilliary Bishop John Selemela and fifteen priests.

The Southern Cross spoke to a number of pilgrims to find out how they felt about attending the pilgrimage. “We are happy to be here today to commemorate our dear Blessed Mother of God and her body becoming assumed into heaven to be reunited with her soul,” Mrs Jane Kota told The Southern Cross.

“My family and I have been attending the pilgrimage for many years. I missed attending the pilgrimage. Now that it`s been resumed, I`ll make sure that I and my family, along with our parish of St Peter the Apostle in Klippan don`t miss future trips coming here, to pray to our Mother, and to ask her for her blessings in our lives and for our country South Africa,” Mr David Tseleng said.

Mary Assumed into Heaven Church was founded in 1950. This was when a group of local residents travelled to the Most Holy Redeemer Mission in Mmakau Village, north-west of Pretoria to request that a Catholic church be built in their village.

As it was the common practice then, first a small two-roomed building was constructed on a piece of land earmarked for the church. The building acted as a school during the week, and a church on Sundays. In 1961, the Stigmatine Fathers succeeded the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the running of the parish.

The proper church building was built in 1972, initiated by Stigmatine Father Michele D`Annucci CSS. It was blessed by the then Auxillary bishop of Johannesburg, Bishop Peter Buthelezi OMI in 1974.

The new church was declared a shrine of Our Lady by the then archbishop of Pretoria, Archbishop John Garner in the same year. During the Holy Year of 1975, the first pilgrimages were organised to the shrine. The pilgrimage is now a set annual feature in the annual events of the Archdiocese of Pretoria.