Simeo Ondeto founded the Legion Maria (Maria Legio/Legio Maria Church of
Africa) in the early 1960s. While the
movement did not begin solely through the work of Simeo Ondeto, he fashioned it
and made it a formidable religious group that could attract followers from
different tribes and nations of the earth. Legio Maria was a transformation of
the Roman Catholic Church local Legion of Mary movement into a purely new
experience of God.
When Simeo Ondeto appeared in
the scene and was recognized immediately as a prophet and great teacher, many
people traveled to listen to him. His teachings were full of inspiration and
hope for Africans. He delivered the much-needed hope that the yoke of
colonialism and oppression would end soon and Africans would be free again to
live their own lives without being bullied around.
ALSO READ: Who is Simeo
Ondeto?
Here
is the background to Legion Maria:
1. Ready Local Environment for
Legio Maria
During the late 1950s to the early
1960s, the local Kenyan scene was tense with nationalism and African fight for
freedom against the yoke of colonialism. The Mau Mau and other political
organizations were struggling to close the horrific Chapter of black
oppression. It is during this time that resentment increased in the local
churches and Africans wanted to worship God in a way that did not conflict with
their traditional beliefs. In fact,
there were increased breakaway movements from the local churches as Africans
formed their own independent churches.
When Simeo Ondeto appeared in
the scene and was recognized immediately as a prophet and great teacher, many
people traveled to listen to him. His teachings were full of inspiration and
hope for Africans. He delivered the much-needed hope that the yoke of
colonialism and oppression would end soon and Africans would be free again to
live their own lives without being bullied around.
ALSO READ: Reasons
why Simeo Ondeto is God
Simeo Ondeto also identified
with and publicly supported African freedom fighters such as Dedan Kimathi, Jomo
Kenyatta, Oginga Odinga, Thomas Mboya and many others. On his part, however, he
insisted on religious freedom, inspiring Africans to realize that they too were
created by God and were equal with other races in the eyes of God.
2.
Trust in Spirits/Superstition
The environment was also ready
in terms of African trust in spirits. The local communities believed in the
existence of spirits (juogi) and practices such as exorcism and divination were
still popular. In fact, in communities where almost all people believed in the
existence of witchcraft, spiritual solutions to most of the problems and
calamities were quite popular. For instance, the sick prayed to God for help,
but also frequently consulted diviners, mediums and magicians for solutions.
Since the locals lived in perpetual fear of witches and always looked for
solutions for their fears, sickness, poverty, failure or curses from
charismatics and those with spiritual power, Simeo Ondeto quickly became
popular as a healer, prophet and leader of the masses by providing the
spiritual solutions they sought. Indeed, through charismatic people such as
Vitalis Okelo Oketa and Gaudencia Aoko, the new movement attracted streams of
followers who sought for solutions to their problems.
ALSO READ: Legion
Maria movement
3.
Desire for Greater Inclusion in Church Service
In the local Roman Catholic
Church where Simeo Ondeto was a member and auxilliary catechist, members of the
congregations played marginal roles in the church services. The priests and
other clergy dominated the Sunday services and interpreted the scriptures to
the people, and there was minimal involvement of the lay. On the contrary, the lay Legio Maria movement
and the growing numbers of independent churches offered greater room for the
lay to participate in church service, attracting more new followers than the
established churches. In fact, Maria Ragot of Nyabondo in Nyakach attracted
followers even from the local Roman Catholic Church because she not only
offered spiritual solutions, but also allowed for greater participation of the
lay in church services.
ALSO READ: Is
Legion Maria a new religion?
4. Mama Maria and the Gelling of Myths
The appearance of Maria Regina
Owich (Mama Maria) in the scene in the early 1960s was an important factor in
the development of Legio Maria. As soon as she appeared, she immediately took
up the place of Virgin Mary and was soon adored as the mother of God. But most
importantly, almost all the local myths about a wandering woman in the Luo
nation were associated with her. For instance, she was said to have directly
fallen from heaven in a rainbow with her spiritual son Simeo Ondeto. After
coming through the rainbow, she fell on Lake Victoria and lived in the lake.
The local narrative about Nyamgondho Kombare was used to explain how this woman
left the lake and lived with people. So Legio Maria took it that Mama Maria was
the one fished out of the water by Mai, Son of Ombare, who lived in Gwassi, by
the shores of Lake Victoria according to the Nyamgondho Kombare myth.
The Blessed Mama Maria (Legion Maria's Virgin Mary)
Mama Maria was then associated
with the myth of Simbi Nyaima in Karachuonyo. From the story of Simbi Nyaima in
which it is said that an old woman did sink an entire village because she was
insulted, beaten, and denied shelter, the Legio Maria movement got a story
equivalent to the mythical story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Another story that bolstered her position was that of the wandering woman
called Mother of Omolo Nyunja. This story was now popular among the luo and
parents used to scare their crying children to silence by threatening them with
the appearance of the wandering woman. By combining these local narratives with
the Fatima mysteries, the Legio Maria followers created a fantastic and pithy
narrative of Virgin Mary, which helped to legitimize and promote the new
movement.
5. Testimony of Mama Maria
Mama Maria said that she had
visited several Roman Catholic churches before she appeared in Legio Maria.
Most importantly, she said that she was the one who appeared to Lucia Santos in
Fatima. This claim immediately made her to be linked with Virgin Mary. But most
essentially, she stated that she had come to Africa because it was time for
Africa to lead the world into the worship of God. This statement was relevant
to the African perception of themselves and for their sense of identity. The
statement was also relevant in the context of independence and self-rule.
Furthermore, when she united with Simeo Melkio Ondeto, the two stated that they
had come from heaven and were going to lead Africans into religious
independence.
ALSO READ: 50
quick facts about Legion Maria
6.
Testimonies of Former Roman Catholics
Timothy Atila, First Pope of Legion Maria
Being initially Catholics,
majority of the earliest followers of Baba Simeo Melkio and Mama Maria were
Roman Catholics. These Catholics soon became the catechists and priests of
Legio Maria. But more importantly, they corroborated what Mama Maria said about
her journeys and revelations. The Catholics were slightly familiar with the
Fatima secrets and promoted them as prophecies about Legio Maria. Furthermore,
former Catholics, such as Timotheo Atila and Susana Ouma testified about their
experiences with this woman when they were still Catholics.
ALSO READ: Who
is Timothy Atila?
For example, Atila
Timotheo testified that the woman appeared to her several times when he was
still in school and called him to join the new Legio Maria movement. Susana Ouma testified about her
experiences with Baba Simeo Ondeto right from when she was a little girl, while
other former Roman Catholics like Peter Oswago, Vitalis Okelo, Romanus
On’gombe, Omolo Malo Malo, Abala Rafael, Gaudencia Aoko, and Juma Pesa, all
said that they had either had or known of visitations and appearances of Mama
Maria. Indeed, all of them trusted and supported her claim to be Virgin Mary.
7. Roman Catholic Opposition to Charismatics
When Legio Maria movement was
still part of the Roman Catholic Church lay movement called the Legion of Mary
and most of its members, including Mama Maria and Baba Simeo Ondeto attended
Sunday services in local Catholic churches, the Roman Catholic Church started
expressing opposition towards their charismatic powers. For instance, when
Simeo was paid his first salary as a catechist, he used the entire salary to
buy a huge crucifix and would go to church with this crucifix, a behavior which
was distasteful to the local Catholic priests. On the contrary, the lay Legion
Maria movement offered so much room for charismatics and for members to express
their charismatic gifts freely. In fact, charismatics such as Maria Ragot and
Vitalis Okelo were also former Roman Catholics who sought for more freedom in
lay movements.
ALSO READ: The
Glory of God revealed in Legion Maria
The Roman Catholic opposition
occurred until after 1966. The persecution of Ondeto and other Legio Maria
worshippers were instigated by the local Roman Catholic Church. Ondeto was
arrested severally and was detained in a number of occasions. Ondeto was also
arrested and beaten by the police and his Legio Maria headquarter at Got Kwer
was burnt in 1966. But through these persecutions, the position of Simeo Ondeto
as the savior of Africans from spiritual tyranny of Catholic Church was cemented.
He was called savior and Messiah because of his suffering.
8. Legio Maria Pentecostal Day
Just like Christians have a
Pentecostal day and like the people of Israel were gathered at Mt. Sinai to
make a covenant with God, Legio Maria Pentecostal day is the most important
event in the foundation and development of the movement. The day had been
predicted by Simeo Ondeto and Mama Maria, and so when it came to pass, the
position of the two as true people of God was confirmed.
ALSO READ: Events
of Legion Maria Pentecostal Day
During the Legio Maria
Pentecostal Day, a loud chorus of voices was heard by people who were gathered
at John Baru’s home, in Suna Migori. The chorus was of four different but
familiar Roman Catholic songs. When the chorus or spiritual voices had sung and
entered at John Baru’s home, a wind of spirit filled each person who was there.
Over 1000 people at once began to speak in tongues, to jump in the compound, to
sing, and to proclaim the names of Simeo Ondeto and Mama Maria.
All the over 1000 people
testified that they all saw angels and saints singing and joining with them.
The saints and angels were also seen worshipping Ondeto, whom they saw as
sitting on a throne. When finally all the noise and cheers were silent, the
spirit spoke through one person, Siprianus Ochieng. It is on this day that the
spirit declared Simeo Ondeto as God’s son and Mama Maria as Virgin Mary. From
that day on, Legio Maria’s progress was directed by the spirit and Simeo Ondeto
was worshipped as the son of God.