Douala, 25 March, 2020 / 6:51 am (ACI Africa).
As governments in Africa struggle to contain the spread of COVID-19, with some nations seeking divine intervention by holding National Prayer Days, the Catholic Church in Cameroon’s Douala Archdiocese held a prayer procession to entrust the central African state to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“Today Monday, we chose to entrust the city of Douala to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary by a procession with the statue of the Virgin Mary in all neighborhoods in the city of Douala,” Archbishop Samuel Kleda told journalists at the end of the spiritual exercise Monday, March 23.
“The Priests prayed the rosary with intentions for those who have died of this disease, those who are suffering in the hospital and isolation centers and for us who are not infected,” the Archbishop of Douala added.
During the Monday, March 23 event, priests went round the ten pastoral zones of the local Church with the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At each episcopal vicariate, the clerics and some lay faithful met and took turns meditating the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. A prayer intention was raised for the victims of COVID-19 in the world before the recitation of any decade of the rosary.