There is no saint like her, and no central figure
accorded so much veneration by Legio Maria faithful. St. Mary, Mama Maria or
Maria Regina Owich are the names of the woman that is so much loved and so much
adored that at times it is usually difficult to tell whether she is just
venerated or worshipped. In truth, she is never worshipped by Legio Maria; she
is only venerated and loved and exalted above all saints. And she is never
confused with God, though some Legio Maria members sometimes fail to notice the
difference between a saint and God, and go the extra mile to worship her. But
that cannot be taken against them by the almighty God who searches all souls
and judges people by their motives.
Who Is Mama Maria
The story of Mama Maria begins with narratives that
often sound mythical, yet they contain mighty seeds of truth. She first
features in the grand heavenly meeting of Torente (also called by Legio Maria
faithful Confliutorente). Immediately before that meeting is called, Mama Maria
is a resident of the heavenly city of Silita where she lives in a glorified
state and receives honor from saints and the holy hosts of heaven for her
unselfish role in the salvation of humanity. There, she is not called Mama
Maria, but Blessed Virgin Mary, exalted forever among the saints. And honor is
given to her every often through a prayer called Aksio (or Presidium), in which
the holy hosts of heaven gather around the Blessed Virgin Mary’s throne to
accord her due veneration for being the mother of Jesus Christ.
While at the heavenly City of Silita, the Blessed
Virgin Mary learns of the impending return of the second person of the Holy
Trinity to earth. She is excited by the news of Christ’s return on earth. But
her excitement is not complete because the plan is that the lord is going back
to the earthly city of Jerusalem again. She does not hate the return of Christ
to the land Israel; in fact, she is happy for Israel. However, Virgin Mary
feels that it is proper for Christ to visit another people; another race that
lives in huge spiritual darkness and which has heard the least about the Gospel
of salvation and glorification of humans. These people are the downtrodden
Africans, the blacks of the earth. So Virgin Mary decides to visit the exalted
throne of God, and to travel to the heavenly place called Armos, to request
that when Christ returns to earth he should come as a black man. This way,
Christ would serve to elevate the lowest race of humanity.
Her request was approved and the plan for the second
coming of Christ was now designed with Virgin Mary in the thick of it. In fact,
Mary was made the frontrunner of Christ when he comes again on earth. And with
this approval and her inclusion in the divine plan, the hosts of heaven that honor
her with praises sung with joy. But soon the divine plan had to come to pass
and Virgin Mary had to leave heaven for earth in order to be the forerunner of
the second Christ, Simeo Melkio. Therefore, Mama Maria is the Blessed Virgin
Mary who became a member of the black race to participate not just in the
second coming of Christ, but also in the elevation of the black race in the
knowledge of God and in partaking in the divine plan of calling, saving and
glorifying humanity.
The Blessed Virgin Mary Comes to Earth as Spirit
In the heavenly city of Silita, the Blessed Virgin
Mary does not live as flesh and blood, but she lives as spirit. And when she
came to earth ahead of Christ, Simeo Melkio, Virgin Mary came as a spiritual
being. And when she landed on earth, she was spiritual. The spirit of Virgin
Mary landed on water and from there she travelled to different lands of the
world as spirit which could only be seen by people to whom God ordained that
they should see her.
When speaking to Legio Maria faithful in 1964, Mama
Maria said this about her coming: “When I came from heaven, I landed on water.
Then I traveled across the nations of the world. I went to Egypt and Israel. I
travelled to Europe and America. I was seen by many people whose eyes were
opened to see me. But I was only a spirit that moved across the world and
preparing the earth for the second coming of Christ.”
Indeed, by adopting Mama Maria’s teaching to the
traditions and mythical stories of the Luo nation, Legio Maria members have
come to believe that Mama Maria was the woman fished out of the waters of the
lake by the legendary Mai, son of Ombare of Gwassi, in a Luo myth about how a
poor fisherman became suddenly rich by the help of an old woman fished out of
the lake. While this story is evidently mythical, it rhymes with the Legio
truth that Virgin Mary landed on the sea and took up flesh. Another Luo myth that has been adopted by
Legio Maria members as a way of explaining how Mama Maria was appearing and disappearing
to people and preparing the world for the coming of the second Christ is the
story of Simbi Nyaima, a mythical story of a woman who sunk a village in
Karachuonyo, Homabay County, Nyanza Province, Kenya. This story is also a
typical myth, but Legio Maria finds it relevant because it resonates with the
journeys of Mama Maria when she came on earth.
Mama Maria at Cora Da Iria in Fatima Portugal
The apparition of Mary in Fatima Portugal occurred when
the Blessed Virgin Mary had landed on earth as a spirit. On the field of Cora
da Iria, she appeared to three little children, Lucia Santos, Jacinta and Francesca
Mato in 1917. While the appearances drew a lot of attention because of the
three secrets that Mary gave to Lucia, the third secret is of major significance
to Legio Maria because it carries the message of the coming of Simeo Ondeto and
his revelation in the 1960s. Lucia is evidently told by Mary that she should
not reveal the third secret of Fatima until 1960 because it is during that time
when its meaning shall be clearer. Though, there was also the option of
revealing the secret at Lucia’s death.
Black Mary Walks across Luo Villages
The story of a wandering woman that walked across the
Luo nation in the 1920s to 1930s is not mythical at all. There are people who are still alive today
who actually saw the woman and saw her being ridiculed. One of the people who
have testified about seeing the woman and who still live today is Romanus On’gombe.
According to On’gombe, the black woman was a crazy wanderer who walked across
villages and who could make repeated visits to homes where she was welcomed. On’gombe
also attests that the woman actually visited their home in Suna many times and
often sat under a big tree that was in their home. His father never used to
chase the woman away and so she liked visiting them whenever she was in Suna.
When Virgin Mary was going about her walks across the
Luo nation and was passing across the village market of Awendo, a certain
dignified tailor called Omolo who was the son of a man called Nyunja of Alego,
Udida Clan, decided to make for her a decent dress. Mary decided to stay with
him until her dress was made. But she never left without blessing Omolo. In
fact, she promised Omolo that his name shall never be forgotten among the Luos
of Kenya. And therefore, whenever this woman went, she called herself mother of
Omolo Nyunja of Alego. Indeed, this name stuck and even today the wandering
woman is recognized among the Luo people by the name mother of Omolo Nyunja.
Mama Maria as the Forerunner of Simeo Ondeto
Just like John the Baptist who was the forerunner of
Jesus Christ, Mama Maria did her role meticulously. She visited many places and
appeared to many people. She did miracles and wonders. But in all these, she
reminded the people that her son Jesus Christ had come on earth and was going
to be revealed soon. And therefore, she appeared to countless people, including
Petro Oswago, Juma Pesa, Otieno Masaga, a Bukoba woman and Maria Ragot, among
others, telling them to announce to the world what she had sent them to
announce: that her son Jesus Christ had come again and was to be revealed soon.
Through a heavenly visit, Virgin Mary also managed to turn a drunkard called
Vitalis Okelo into a preacher of the message of the coming son of God.
And when Legio Maria had taken root and Simeo was
about to be revealed, Mama Maria teamed up with Simeo Melkio at the home of John
Baru. In fact, Simeo had known that her mother was at Magacha and sent a team
led by Abala Rafael and On’gombe Romanus to bring her to John Baru’s home. They
met late in the evening, knelt down for a brief prayer, hugged and greeted, and
took a few hours in Silvester Okweto’s house to catch up. That meeting came a
few days before the coming of the Holy Spirit and the revelation of Simeo
Melkio, and with the meeting, Legios learned that he was the spiritual mother
of Simeo and the biblical mother of Jesus; the Virgin Mary herself.
Mama Maria Leads the Establishment of the New Movement
Before Mary could leave the new reign to the lord, she
played her part. It was Mama Maria who led the establishment of the first Legio
Maria church at Calvary Hill. When Legios were worried about not having priests
of their own, it was Mama Maria who promised that Legio Maria would have its
own clergy. And it was Mama Maria who led the ordination of the first Legio
Maria clergy, with her appointment of Timothy Atila as the first Cardinal and
then the first pope of Legio Maria. And
during the persecutions of Legio Maria, it was also Mama Maria who encouraged
Legios.
Mary’s teachings about Simeo Ondeto were clear. She
called Ondeto her son. She called him the son of God, and often asked Legios to
accord him the worship he deserves. In one of her teachings in 1964, she says:
“Let you not be
fooled. This Ohulo (Simeo) you see amongst you is not like you. If you joke
around with him thinking that he is a man like you, you will only be losing out
on your chance to see life everlasting. In heaven, Ohulo (Simeo) seats in an
exalted throne of God and he judges the living and the dead. There, he is not
as playful as he is here on earth, and he does not tolerate sinners.”
In another teaching of hers in 1965, she said:
“Give honor to Ohulo everyday. Worship him often, and
beg him for forgiveness of your sins. Let you not be fooled: Ohulo does not
tolerate sins. And if you are fooled by his playfulness and his human nature,
you will be lost. Make sure to give way when he comes. Never sit on a chair
when he is seated on a chair. You may
never see his glory with your human eyes, but all around him, he is glorious
and high above all things.”
Mama Maria Returns to Heaven
On 18th of December 1966, the earthly sojourn
of Mama Maria came close to its end. She
looked sickly and meditating for most hours. And the same condition persisted
from 18th to 23rd. On 23rd, she told Legio
Maria members who were at Ephesus Nzoia that her time had come and her earthly pilgrimage
had come to its end. Then she called Cardinal Carilus Mumbo and asked him to
make sure that he informs Simeo Melkio to hurry to Ephesus. Simeo had gone to
Gem to preach the word of the kingdom of God. But when Carilus Mumbo found him,
he immediately asked Mumbo: “What brings you here? Is Mama Maria gone already?”
Mumbo responded to Simeo: “No. she is not gone. In
fact, she is the one who has sent me to call you?” Mumbo and Simeo rushed to
Ephesus Nzoia and when they arrived in the evening, Simeo and Mama Maria got
into a conversation for more that half-an-hour. Then, a bright light of the
spirit of Mary soon left the house where they were and dazed across the sky
like lightning. People saw the light crack above the house, but they did not
know that the spirit of Mama Maria was the one traveling back to the heavenly
City of Silita where she lives forever. And when Simeo left the house knowing
what had happened, he did not break the news to the crowd of Legios. Instead,
he asked them all to pick their rosaries and begin praying. The lifeless body
of Mama Maria was buried in Ephesus Nzoia Church. And that way, her earthly
ministry as the one preparing the way of the second Christ came to an end.
