Pilgrims Walking to Muxima Marian Shrine in Angola Urged to Promote Solidarity

“It is this physical exercise that also expresses a spiritual exercise, a psychological exercise—a workout not only of the body, but of the mind, the will, in goodness, in truth, in solidarity, in justice,” he said.

The Catholic Archbishop highlighted the ability of the pilgrimage to bring people from different backgrounds together as an important expression of its social dimension.

He said pilgrims would share “effort, joy, and experiences,” noting that the singing and dancing along the route reflect the encounter between faith and Angolan culture.

“There is a sporting aspect, a social aspect—this joy we see in people, this singing, this dancing—but above all, it has this dimension of faith encountering culture, faith encountering the city,” Archbishop Dias said.

He further explained that the visible presence of pilgrims along the route constitutes a testimony capable of leaving a lasting impression on the communities and urban spaces they pass through.

“The city will receive this color; it will receive this testimony of sport and joy that flows from the commitment of faith in each of us,” he said.

The Catholic Archbishop urged participants not to view the pilgrimage merely as a journey toward the Marian shrine but as an opportunity to practice fraternity.

Addressing the thousands of devotees gathered for the start of the pilgrimage, he appealed for “no one to make the journey in isolation.”

In the pilgrimage prayer, Archbishop Dias asked Mamã Muxima—Mother Muxima—to protect the pilgrims, strengthen those who become weary, and renew the hope of those who lose courage.

“It is faith that walks on foot,” he said, explaining that although the feet carry the pilgrims forward, the journey must also involve “the heart, the mind, and that firm conviction that the ultimate meaning of our life is God.”