Catholic Shrine to Mary Queen of Peace is Vandalized in Cameroon - the Archbishop Holds a Mass of Reparation


The Mary Queen of Peace sanctuary in Nsimalen, on the outskirts of Yaoundé, capital of Cameroon, was attacked and desecrated by unidentified people on the night of April 2 to 3.
“ By going to mass early in the morning, we noticed that the icons and spiritual places most visited by the faithful had been ransacked and broken ,” laments Father Antoine Roger Evouna. Rector of the Mary Queen of Peace sanctuary in Nsimalen, he found the place of worship seriously vandalized on Wednesday April 3 in the morning.
“The unidentified individuals destroyed four icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary, as well as the 14 stations of the Stations of the Cross,” Archbishop Jean Mbarga. said in an April 4 statement.
“ I firmly condemn this act which reminds us that Christ has not finished suffering in his love for humanity ,” strongly condemned Mgr Jean Mbarga, Archbishop of Yaoundé. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary since 1986, the Mary Queen of Peace sanctuary in Nsimalen depends on its diocese and welcomes thousands of pilgrims each year.
For Father Evouna, the situation is particularly serious. “ This sanctuary is located in a very sensitive place, namely inside the Nsimalen international airport , ” he recalls, before asserting: “ When such a scandal, such vandalism occurs, we Asked about security, we have next to us the presidential guard and the aeronautical authority which manages airport safety and security. It cannot be a matter for the Church alone. »
Faced with these acts of desecration, Bishop Mbarga “ invites all the faithful of Christ, the sons and daughters of the Virgin Mary, to offer to God a novena of the Rosary so that his divine mercy and his holy providence may triumph . ” He asks them to “unite their efforts for penance, [for] the repair and restoration of the sanctuary ”. Before reassuring: “ The Mary Queen of Peace sanctuary in Nsimalen lives and will always live ”.
Msgr. Mbarga urged Christians to offer a Rosary novena “so that his divine Mercy and holy Providence may triumph.”
The archbishop also asked them to “unite their efforts for the penance, reparation and restoration of the Shrine.”
“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, from heaven, rekindle the fervent faith of his people, the conversion of one another and the promotion of peace in our country and in the world,” Mbarga said. (with information from La Croix Int)

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