Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

From the top of the hill

 Let’s start with Our Lady of the Rosary, the Marian title with which the Virgin Mary introduced herself to Saint Dominic de Guzmán.  An image of devotion for Catholics, the prayer for the transformation of the heart. Maybe that’s why the Church is named after it, on top of the hill, in the already mountainous district of Manica. We noticed it while we were still on the road and it was hidden among the trees that grow like protection spikes. The way to the top is made by stairs, carved into rocks, adorned with stones, to resist this torrent we call time. A permanent exhibition in a kind of small chapel, with an illustration of a man (is it Jesus?) who carries a cross on his shoulders, follows our steps, as if reminding us that reaching the top was also an exercise in sacrifice. The building, which was built between 1902 and 1904 by the Public Works Services of the Companhia de Moçambique, is of religious architecture, with tall oval doors and towers with a spire. It’s been closed for a few years now. But from above, it allows for an ideal view of what the Manica district can be, perhaps the vision of God.

Publicidade

Issue 75 Sept/Oct | Download.