Ivory Coast
Mary assumed into heaven, crowned with 12 stars, in a stylized relief on the entrance wall of the parish church, welcomes us and reminds us that we too are on a journey towards heaven and that she awaits us up there with her.
Marian Vocation and Missionary Roots
Assunta is also my second baptismal name, having been born in the year the dogma of the Assumption of Mary was promulgated.
I am a missionary of Our Lady of the Apostles, and this article of our constitutions has sustained and guided me throughout these nearly 51 years of mission in Ivory Coast:
“Our Lady of the Apostles is for us the ideal figure of the strong and humble woman, available and full of hope. In the Upper Room, with the Twelve, she contemplates the things of God and animates the missionary impetus that marked the beginnings of the Church. In her we find the model of unity that we hope to achieve in our lives. And with Mary, mother of Jesus, present and active since the foundation of the Church, we persevere in prayer and action, always attentive to the inspirations of the Spirit of Pentecost”.
Evangelization and the Light of Faith in the Villages
Here Mary at Cana, Mary at the foot of the Cross, Mary in the Upper Room are the icons that accompany and support me in my missionary pilgrimage serving youth pastoral ministry.
The Hail Mary and Our Father are the first prayers I introduce to catechumens, translated into all local languages. Often, especially in villages where not everyone can read and write, I help them discover the 20 panels of the mysteries of the Rosary. And when they can explain each panel, I gift them a fluorescent rosary to remind them that we must be light wherever we are.
Diocesan Devotion and the Feast of the Assumption
During times of conflict, people experienced the power of Mary’s intercession.
Almost every diocese has a Marian shrine, and for the eve of the Assumption there have been small and large prayer vigils. Those who could not participate in the diocesan vigil celebrated in their parish, where there is a Marian grotto.
Great is the fervor and love for Mary, whom they feel so close to them.
In communion, I wish everyone a peaceful feast of the Assumption here and there.
Photo by sister Attilia Bario
