On the 9th of May a group of parishioners from Mater Dolorosa, Johannesburg, took a statue of Our Lady of Ngome to the shrine of Torreciudad. It is the first image from South Africa to be part of the collection of more of 500 madonnas from all over the world, that pilgrim have brought to Torreciudad during the past years. COVID stopped their pilgrimage when they were ready to go and they had to wait till now to be able to fulfil their wishes. Taking advantage of the trip, the pilgrims also went to other Marian shrines, Our Lady of Ransom in Barcelona, Montserrat, El Pilar at Saragossa and Lourdes.
The statue of Mary is called Tabernacle of the Most High, situated in Ngome, in the mountains of KwaZulu-Natal, where a Benedictine Sister, Reinolda May, originally from Germany, experienced ten apparitions of the Virgin Mary during 1955 and 1971. Our Mother appeared holding the eucharistic host in her hands, showing Jesus to the people. She asked a shrine to be built at the site of seven springs. People collect the water for healing purposes.
The Pilgrimage was led by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, and the parish priests of Mater Dolorosa and Bez Valley. After the Mass at the Holy Family chapel, the Archbishop gave the statue to the Rector of the shrine Father Angel Lasheras. Then the pilgrims took the image to the main nave of the church and placed her on a pedestal in the sanctuary. It was a very emotional moment to the parishioners, after all these months of preparation to bring the most famous Marian image of South Africa.