Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro
Blagdan: January 24
Mary of Peace venerated at Africa's grand basilica in Ivory Coast.
Zaštitništvo
Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, peace and reconciliation, African Catholics
Vrline i osobine
Životopis
Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro is venerated in connection with the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, one of Africa's largest churches, located in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. Pope John Paul II dedicated this basilica in 1990 to honor Mary under the title of Our Lady of Peace. The structure itself became a symbol of faith and peace in West Africa. The January 24 feast day commemorates the basilica's significance in African Catholicism. This Marian title emerged from the Ivorian Church's desire to place Mary at the center of spiritual life and to invoke her intercession for peace during periods of national instability. The devotion reflects the African synthesis of Catholic faith with indigenous spiritual traditions. Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro calls the faithful to seek reconciliation, healing, and spiritual renewal through Mary's maternal intercession, encouraging hope and trust in God's providential care for West African nations.