The Feast of Our Lady of Africa is celebrated annually on April 30, particularly in North Africa, where it is observed as a solemnity, requiring Mass attendance. It commemorates the crowning of a dark bronze statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1876, housed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers, Algeria. The devotion began in the 19th century when French missionaries, led by Bishop Louis-Antoine-Augustin Pavy, established the basilica, consecrating the statue, originally called “Faithful Virgin,” as Our Lady of Africa in 1856. The statue, modeled after a French sculpture of the Immaculate Conception, was gifted by the Sodality of Our Lady in Lyon in 1840 and is often depicted with African features, earning the title “The Black Madonna.”
The feast is significant for the Missionaries of Africa, The White Fathers, and the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, founded by Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, who enshrined the statue in the basilica. . Pilgrims, both Christian and Muslim, visit the basilica, seeking miracles, healing, peace, and protection, with many ex-votos testifying to answered prayers. Muslims venerate Mary as “Lalla Meryem,” reflecting the interreligious dimension of the shrine, highlighted by the inscription: “Our Lady of Africa, pray for us and for the Muslims.”
It is also celebrated in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Southern Africa, and has spread to the African diaspora, with churches dedicated to the title worldwide, including in Chicago and Washington, D.C
The feast emphasizes Mary’s role as the Mother of Africa, interceding for the continent’s challenges, including poverty, conflict, and injustice. Celebrations include Mass, rosary prayers, and sometimes processions, with a focus on peace, unity, and cultural diversity.
Note: In Ceuta, Spain, a distinct celebration of Our Lady of Africa occurs on August 5, tied to a different statue brought by Portuguese navigators in 1415. This is a regional public holiday with processions and cultural festivities, not directly connected to the April 30 feast in Algiers.