National Marian Shrine development
07 May 2009
We Franciscans as custodians of the National Marian Shrine in Subukia, Kenya, approach you, our Dear Friends, with a special request. Through the Kenya Episcopal Conference, God has given us a wonderful gift – a newly born National Marian Shrine, located at the very centre of the country, surrounded by beautiful forestry hills, in small town called Subukia. Everything in this Shrine is still new and under development. Even the road leading to the Shrine is not properly build. Pilgrims from all over the country come to the little chapel, and pray for the intercession in front of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Africans love Mary, coming to her willingly and in large numbers, because she is their Mother, and without her they feel orphans. In February this year, over ten thousand women came to Subukia praying and seeking intercession from their Mother and Queen of Africa. They bring to her everything: joys and sorrows, crosses and wounds of everyday struggles, because to whom shall they go?
Knowing your generosity and love for the Church and Mother of Jesus, we kindly ask you to support materially and spiritually the project of constructing the church at the Shrine, which is needed, since in the existing chapel only forty people can enter to pray. At the hill there is a spring of water… that demands a proper construction around. Temporary stations of the Way of the Cross need replacement as well. All those needs push us to seek the help from you, Dear Friends, to construct the church of Our Lady, Mother of God.
For years we always admire the love towards Mary that Kenyans have in their hearts. We often ask ourselves, where does it come from? The answer is in the very basic background: in no other place in the world, we didn’t found so many orphanages, so many kids left without parents as an effect of AIDS, malaria and other tropical diseases, that kill millions of Africans. In this aspect we find the reason of falling in love with Mary. In the local languages they often sing: Mother, who understands everything; with her Heart she embraces every one of us. Mother know how to find goodness in us, she is always with us, in every situation…
Do not be afraid, Dear Friends, to extend loving hands of Mary towards our Kenyan Sisters and Brothers, and to help the Kenyans to love more Mary, Mother of our Lord. Mary is the Mother of us all, and surely will send graces of God to those, who will help to develop the Shrine in East Africa, in Kenya. It is indeed the first such a project in this region.
We ask Mary to intercede for you, Dear Friends, every day in our common and individual prayers and already here say thank you for your generous contributions for this wonderful project.
Bank:
NIC Bank
NIC House Branch
P.O. Box 44599
00100 Nairobi
Account:
Subukia Shrine
ICA 1-110-000605
Swift code: NINCKENA
Shrine’s address:
Subukia National Shrine
P.O. Box 14250
20100 Nakuru
Kenya
Tel. +254 723 303 429
e-mail: subukia@ofmconvkenya.org
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