Rev. Fr. Moses Andama calls on young pilgrims to turn away from witchcraft and embrace Christian hope during Rwanda pilgrimage
Rev. Fr. Moses Andama, a young priest from Arua Diocese in Uganda, has expressed concern over the growing sense of hopelessness among Ugandans an issue he says is driving many to seek solutions in witchcraft.
Fr. Andama made the remarks during his homily at a Holy Mass in Kibeho, Rwanda, as young Ugandan pilgrims concluded their week-long spiritual journey to the Marian Shrine.
He urged Catholics, especially the youth, to turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary for hope and refuge during this Jubilee Year of Pilgrims of Hope.
“Just like Peter turned to Jesus after an unfruitful night of fishing, we too must look to Mary, the Mother of Kibeho, when we are lost in despair,” he said.
The September pilgrimage to Kibeho is an annual event organized by the National Youth Office of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, in preparation for the National Youth Conference held in December.
This year, the pilgrimage drew over 60 participants from various dioceses across Uganda, including priests, religious, and adult chaperones supporting the young pilgrims.
Joyce Zako, the National Youth Coordinator at the Uganda Episcopal Conference, highlighted that one of the most important aspects of the journey was the youth’s deep engagement with this year’s theme: Pilgrims of Hope.
“The young people took part in many enriching activities, but understanding the theme and its spiritual depth was particularly meaningful,” she said.
Rev. Fr. Walter Wokorach, Youth Chaplain of Nebbi Catholic Diocese, led catechesis on the theme, encouraging the pilgrims to live in constant readiness to return to the Father when the time comes.
At the end of the pilgrimage, several participants shared how the experience had spiritually transformed them.
Many confessed that they were previously unaware of the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, a devotion revealed by the Virgin Mary to visionary Marie Claire Mukangango during the Kibeho apparitions.
One pilgrim said the journey helped him understand the “full range rosary,” a practice they participated in throughout the pilgrimage and especially during their stay at the shrine.
Another participant, Kotedi John Bosco from Kotido Diocese near the South Sudan and Kenya borders shared that he used the pilgrimage as an opportunity to pray for peace in the Karamoja sub-region.
Kibeho remains the only Marian apparition site in Africa officially approved by the Catholic Church.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared there between 1981 and 1989 to three schoolgirls Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and Marie Claire Mukangango delivering messages focused on repentance, prayer, suffering, and devotion to the Seven Sorrows Rosary.
By Florence Nangendo
9th Sept 2025
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