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Bernard Mizeki Pilgrimage — 21-24 June 2012

A HEAVENLY EXPERIENCE

[Source: Bishop Dinis Sengulane, July 2012]

“If on earth we can have this sense of communion with God, Heaven must be in comparably extraordinary.” This was the conviction of one of the pilgrims.

Heavenly experience seem to have characterised this year’s pilgrimage, from the beginning in Maputo on 21 June at 04.00 am, as we had such uplifting worship to mark the beginning of the journey at the Diocesan Centre, to the end on the evening of the 24th at Chimoio Sanctuary.

“The whole earth is full of the glory of God” Is. 6, 3 and “God has many people in this place ” Act. 18, 10 were the guide lines of our reflection during the pilgrimage, which followed the general theme “let us grow up in everything looking unto Him who is the head, Christ” Eph. 4, 15. All administrative provinces of Mozambique were represented, led by their respective bishops, bringing together about 150 people who crossed the border to Zimbabwe, bound to Marondellas. More than 10000 people were present from different parts of Zimbabwe. Bishop Chad Gandiya of Harare presided, Bishop Godfrey of Central Zimbabwe celebrated, the Bishop of Rochester UK preached and the Bishops of Maswingo, Lebombo and Niassa concelebrated and brought greetings to the pilgrims.

The group travelling from Maputo, numbering 60 stopped at Macia under very heavy rain, at Quissico, called God’s window due to its extreme natural beauty, at Maxixe, Pambara for prayer following the litany and holding a massive cross and at Zove where over 100 young people waiting to share songs about the theme and to hold a vigil, culminating with Holy Communion early in the morning of 22nd before heading to Chimoio to join those from Tete, Beira, Nampula, Zambézia and Niassa.

We discovered in Zove that more than 1000 children, probably 1500 were registered, gathered by the Church and now they are included in Government statistics as existing, something which enables good planning for health education and food production. This cover a radius of 35 kms.

Our pilgrimage was completed at Chimoio Bernard Mizeki shrine on Saturday Evening with a vigil culminating with solemn Eucharist on Sunday, with the Bishop of Lebombo presiding and the Bishop of Niassa as the preacher. 18 young people were baptized and confirmed, 3 received in the Anglican Family and 3 men as members of Bernard Mizeki Guild. This was followed by sharing impressions or experiences of the pilgrimage, vision about the future, structuring pilgrims and how to ensure sustainability in addition to ministering further at the shrine.

People’s hospitality at Zove, Chimoio, Mutare and Marondellas touched profoundly the pilgrims, indescribable hospitality, the way God removed so many obstacles which could have affected negatively the event was very clear and convincing the angelic choirs in both Marondellas and Chimoio, and the deep praying environment in both places, made some pilgrims to conclude that we need to extend the sanctuaries/shrine to where we are going.

The two Dioceses took advantage of being together to touch on some common concerns such as Evangelism in the Country, Prayer Book in Portuguese, uniting structure for Anglicans in Mozambique as we move unto multiplication.

Enculturation, Education and the Anglican Nucleus of knowledge and wisdom a new group being created in cities.

Heaven is just godly glorious, joyful, unifying and liberating. This was experience at this memorably and beyond words pilgrimage as we thanked God for the life of Bernard Mizeki missionary and Martyr.

The Right Reverend Dinis Salomão Sengulane
Bishop of Lebombo