On Tuesday 15 August, Christians around the world will celebrate the Assumption, one of the great feasts of Christian life. The Assumption comes from a Latin word meaning “to take away”: Mary, after her death, was taken away from earthly life to enter life in God.
The Virgin Mary, considered to be the “mother of God, mother of the Church and mother of all”, occupies an important place in the Catholic faith. But beyond religious beliefs, there is also a deep popular devotion to the Virgin Mary in Mauritius; Mauritians, some of them non-Christians, see her as a “gentle and protective mother”. And during the day of 15 August, many of them will go to the Marian caves to pay homage to the Virgin by laying flowers and candles.
Masses are planned in churches across the country.
The Church has a special thought for the priests who were ordained on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption. On 15 August 2023, Father Adrien Wiehé (68 years of priesthood) will celebrate his anniversary as a priest.
Special programme
Mass on MBC TV 2 at 08:00, live from the Marie-Reine chapel in Poudre d’Or. Celebrant : Father Jean-Bernard Fricot.
Special programme on MBC 2: As usual, the Diocese of Port Louis, in collaboration with MBC, will be broadcasting a special television programme on the Feast of the Assumption. This year’s theme is: “Female religious congregations in Mauritius – the new reality of ‘YES'”.
Faced with the problem of a lack of vocations in Mauritius, as in many countries around the world, how are these congregations in Mauritius adapting to this situation in order to continue to make Mary’s “YES” resound and to continue their mission within the Church and in the various services they render to Mauritian society?
These questions are addressed in this programme with the participation of six nuns who shed light on the situation. There is also a contribution from Bishop Jean-Michael Durhone of Port-Louis, who met the ten women’s religious congregations in the Port Louis diocese at the Carmel Monastery in Vacoas on 22 July.
