Wednesday, March 4, 2015

SIMEO ONDETO MY SHIELD: THE GOD WHO RESCUED MY LIFE



Testimony of Jeff Ogola

The story of Jeff Ogola (aka Jeff Henrys) is an inspiring melody of how God saved his life and the life of his family at the most needy hours. Tracing the evidence of the hand of Simeo Ondeto back to his grandfather’s time, Jeff has found safety in the unwavering shield of the Lord all through his life, even during the times when he had relapsed and left the faith that he had known as a child. Here is his story as shared this week with lejionmaria.blogspot.com

Times of My Grandfather

“My grandfather was a polygamous man; a true luo man who married 5 wives. Each of the wives had their homes and my grandmother was the second wife. At my grandmother’s home located in Wangaya 2 of Kano North East Location, everything seemed well except the sudden barrenness that struck my grandmother as soon as she had given birth to my father. Her real problem is that each time she conceived then she would either have a miscarriage or still birth. And in the event that she gave birth, such a child would die soon after birth.”

“Therefore, the early 1960s were years of real agony and misfortune for my grandmother. But as the Luos believe that nothing wrong happens without a cause, my grandmother decided never to just sit around and weep hopelessly over her problems. She decided to move around in search of help, whether medical or spiritual. Back in those years, herbalists, witchdoctors and spiritual mediums were still thought of to be reliable sources of solutions to problems that have no medical solutions. So, she walked around seeking the help of these people, from village to village where the most powerful of them could be found. Unfortunately, her journeys were in vain and her troubles persisted.”

Visit to Simeo Ondeto

“My grandmother had already lost 8 pregnancies by the time she came to learn about Simeo Melkio Ondeto. Through a conversation with her woman friend, my grandmother heard that there was a great prophet from Awasi, whose name was Ondeto, and that this powerful prophet could even raise people from death. According to the woman, if my grandmother could only seek the help of Simeo Ondeto then her problems would be no more.”

“Excited about the possibility of having her problems solved once and for all, my grandmother set out to meet Simeo Ondeto. This was in the mid 1960s. Her meeting with Ondeto occurred in Awasi, when Ondeto had visited his home town to preach the word of God. Surprisingly to my mother, by the time she came into Ondeto’s presence, the man of God had already known her and her problems. And Ondeto spoke to her saying: ‘My daughter, welcome to Legio Maria. May your womb be loosened now so you can go out there and share your testimony with others? Now go and share your testimony!”

“My grandmother did not even speak out her problems to Simeo Ondeto but the Lord knew her and relieved her from her burdens. And in 1968, she gave birth to her second child, and then many more children followed. The shame of my grandmother had been removed and the glory of God was surely revealed in her life. Through that experience, my grandmother became a devout member of Legio Maria and served God and his son Simeo Ondeto with all her heart.”

Another Trial

“Years later, when I had been born, the enemy struck once again. This time, it was me and my sister who were the victims of the devil’s evil plans. I was still pretty young when this event occurred and it still bewilders me when I recall just how it occurred. Those days, our family lived with in Mathare North. But one day, when my father returned home from his work, he found my sister too sick and pale, while I had my arms severely broken.”

“He rushed us quickly to the hospital and he was interrogated by the doctors and nurses. My sister was just a few months old and so she could not talk, so it was me who was asked what had happened to me. Because of my underdeveloped speech, all I could utter in response to the questions was ‘mama’ and it was taken that it is my mother who did this to us. So my mother who had traveled to Nyakach, over 300 kilometers from Nairobi was called back to Nairobi and both of my parents were quickly charged with child abuse. And my father was immediately locked up as my mother assisted with investigations.”

“At such times of trouble, you realize that only God can allow the truth to prevail and prevent impending grief. So when my grandmother learned that her son was in detention she quickly went to Simeo Melkio, who was then in Ahero, to help her out. Immediately she reached Simeo’s presence, the Lord broke out in laughter saying: ‘Ooh, I see. They want to resolve the work of the devil in court. But can they imprison the devil or judge him in court?’ After Simeo had spoken these words, he ordered two of his guards named Agus and Odagi to travel with my mother to Nairobi, pray in our house in Mathare North, and to accompany her to court.”

“My grandmother did not have the money to pay the fares of all the three, but Simeo said to her: ‘worry not about how you will reach Nairobi. Just go back to your home and prepare for the journey. You will reach Nairobi and all will be well.’ Agus, who died in 2014, and Odagi used to be Simeo Ondeto’s guards those days and they used to stand at his back wherever he went. But on the day of the journey to Nairobi, both of them went with my grandmother and when they arrived in our Nairobi house, they prayed so much.”

“It took a few days for the High Court handling the case to return a verdict of no evidence against both of my parents, and it also took a few days for both I and my sister to heal. My arms healed miraculously, and to this day, I still have the X-ray pictures of the extent of damage as proof of how terribly my arms were damaged.”

Simeo Makes Me His

“There are so many things that Simeo Melkio has done to me and my family. He has been our lord and protector all through. Nevertheless, due to the scorn that came with being a member of Legio Maria, it was always tempting to leave the faith. With the peer pressure that came with being a mid-teen in high school, I found the faith of Legio Maria impossible to hold. I wanted to enjoy myself, to experiment with everything, and to enjoy life. These are things that I felt I could not enjoy when I was a focused member of the Legio Maria faith.”

“I experimented with drinking alcohol and soon I became an addict. To add to my moral decay, I engaged deeply in fornication, thinking that I was enjoying myself. And to make matters worse, I quickly doubted the claims of Simeo Ondeto to be God and told off those who repeated those claims to me. In fact, I became so faithless that all that Simeo had done to my life was lost and forgotten and I never again gave him any honor. And by the time I was in college, I was a complete heathen. Most of my college evenings were spent in bars, drinking beers, enjoying the bustle and experimenting with barmaids. And while my life had become terrible, I never realized how low I had sunk.”

“But one day when I had taken as many bottles as I could afford and was staggering along the busy Tororo-Kampala highway in Uganda, I lost my way completely and could not trace the direction of our college. Wobbling and stumbling on the highway, and with trailers speeding on the road, I was staring at the possibility of losing my life while trying to cross the road. A trailer passed by and almost hit me. I looked at it with the silly gaze of a drunkard, unaware of the huge risks that came with my spree drinking, and almost ready to hurl insults at any trailer driver who sped past me.”

“And there on the road; there in my terrible condition, Simeo Melkio remembered me. And as I was trying to cross the road and staggering around to trace the gate of our college, I saw Simeo Melkio coming straight to me. There on the roadside, Simeo stood by me and engaged me in a memorable conversation that changed my life.  He came shining brightly in his glory but his face was the usual black Simeo I had always seen in the pictures placed on the wall and altar of our home. He asked me why I doubted him; he asked me why I was always on drinking sprees; and he asked me why I was falling deeper into heathenism. I had no answers.”

“Simeo shared with me a lot in that conversation; and at the end of our discourse and when he was gone; I found myself sober and traced my way back to college. And when I had arrived, I made a commitment to return to the Lord who had been my shield since childhood. For me, therefore, I am a Legio Maria not because my parents were Legios, but because I met Simeo Melkio on the road when I was in the worst condition possible and he rescued my life. He, the living God, rescued me from the trap of substance abuse and fornication sprees, and has made me a living testimony of his glory. He saved me, I tell you the truth. And for that saving power and the living experience I had with him on that day along the busy Tororo-Kampala highway, I have known that Simeo Melkio Ondeto is God. This is my story; this is my testimony; and this is how I found myself back at the feet of Simeo Ondeto and worshipping him as the living God.”

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

HEEDING THE CALL OF BABA MESSIAH: THE TESTIMONY OF BARNABA YALA

Born to Legio Maria parents, though indifferent to the faith as he grew up, Deacon Daniel Joseph Barnaba Yala learned the word of Baba Simeo Melkio gradually and finally overcame his doubts. Today, he is one of the most steadfast members, defenders and preachers of the faith. This week, he narrated his journey in learning the ways of the glory of God to lejionmaria.blogspot.com. Here is his story.

Birth in Legio Maria

“The fourth born among my siblings, I grew up in Legio Maria, though I did not see our Lord Baba Simeo face to face. I started attending Legio Maria services at a very tender age and as soon as I could walk long enough to go anywhere my father formed the habit of carrying me to church on his bicycle. For a very young child that I was, Legio Maria services were always interesting and I could not miss going to church even if it meant the grueling bicycle rides with my father and my elder brother.”

“When we did not take a bicycle ride to church with dad, we would go there in the company of our mother. She was a devout member of the church who never missed her prayers. Hence, she would have us accompany her to church on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the devotional prayers to Mama Maria. I really enjoyed the devotional services, especially the song ‘Holy Mary, our beloved mother, show us your son, our lord….( Maria Mtakatifu, Minwa mwahero, nyiswa wuodi Ruodhwa…).

“But one day, when we were taking the journey to church on a bicycle, my left ankle was accidentally cut. I felt deep pain and decided against the bicycle rides to church anymore. In fact, I put an ultimatum to my parents that if they could not buy me shoes then I would not accompany them to church. Those days, going to church for me was like performing a duty to my beloved parents. And to entice me back to church, my parents bought me a pair of shoes to wear on my way to church. Nevertheless the excitement lasted only but a short while and my dislike for Legio Maria set in.”

 The Dislike Years

“My dislike of Legio Maria church services began while I was still a very young boy. It all started with the frequent pressure on us (children) to keep quiet whenever the services were going on. No playing, movement and talking was allowed and we (children) were being instructed and even compelled to remain quiet and to kneel down for the entire duration of the Holy Mass and the devotional prayers to Mary. It was a hell of a place to be in as a child and I hated the services.”

“My aversion for the faith exploded into a hard negative feeling as I grew up and faced the boyhood challenges of being a member of the faith. At school, the mockery and insults were almost unbearable. And in the village, the scorn against us for worshipping Ondeto was too much. These scorns, together with the kneeling and sitting in church for long hours during services made me hate being born in Legio Maria.”

“To make matters worse, no sleeping was allowed during night prayers. You had to kneel, sit and stand through it until the solemn prayers were over. And if you dared sleep, an adult member of the congregation, such as a priest or a nun would squirt cold holy water on you. These really made me angrier, and even hate the faith more. But that was not all. Immediately you stepped into the church compound, you would have to remove your shoes and walk barefoot on hard earth and sometimes spiky rocks. Indeed, these issues were grieving me day by day and throwing me miles and miles away from Legio Maria to the extent that by the time I was a teenager, I had decided I never wanted to be a Legio Maria when I grow up.”

“More awfully, the explanations given to me about why I had to be a member of such a faith never made sense to me. As a child, I did not like the injustice I thought I was receiving in church, but no one was explaining things to me clearly. For instance, I saw adults taking the Holy Sacrament every service day, but children were not allowed to take it. When I asked my mother why I could not be given the holy meal, she only told me that I was still too young to partake of it. I got furious!

“And on another day, a teenage friend of mine saw the image of Mama Maria on the wall of our house and then asked whose image it was saying: ‘Is that the image of your grandmother or who?’ I could not respond to him and simply ignored the question because I had no reasonable answer. When I asked my mother about the image, she told me that the person on the image was the mother of Baba Messiah. I could not believe her.”

“Therefore, while I was born in Legio Maria and grew up a member of the faith, the events of my childhood life almost turned me away from the faith completely. In fact, by the time I was in my early teens, I had decided that I would never be a Legio Maria.”

The Lord Calls Me to Serve Him

“Exactly a month to my joining high school, Baba Simeo spoke through the Holy Spirit and gave me a direct call to serve him. He said: ‘My son, I have great plans for you. Would you accept to serve me?’ The call came as a surprise to me. Before that day, I had already made my mind that I would not serve him and yet, he had seen me and knowing my plans, he was now asking me to serve him. So, I responded to him coldly, saying: ‘I do not know your ways. But if you can open my eyes so I can know you well enough, then I am willing to serve you.’

“When I had responded to him, he replied: ‘I want you to serve in my altar, but before you do that, I need you to make a blue robe. Once you make that blue robe, your mind shall open and you shall know me and serve me.’ After that conversation with the lord, I decided to hold him on his own words and made the blue robe. I was eager to learn his ways in order to make a permanent decision about being a Legio Maria or not.”

“Making the blue cassock requested by the lord changed me completely. Within a few days, I had learned many critical things on Legio Maria that I had never known before. My spiritual eyes were opened more and my knowledge of Simeo Ondeto increased so quickly that by the time I was joining high school, I had completely become a Legio Maria. And soon, I learned how to serve in the Holy Mass through the help of Father Joseph Oluoch.”

“When I had become a success on the Lord’s first request, he again spoke to me through the Holy Spirit saying: ‘My son, now I want you to start teaching my people.’ This was a shocker, especially coming so soon to a person who just committed fully to him a few months back. So I responded naively, saying: ‘Lord, I am not a gifted teacher of the word of God. Moreover, I am so shy that I can not face your people with your word.’ But the good lord responded saying: “Be not afraid for I shall be with you always.’ And as he said to me, he has successfully turned me into his teacher.”

What I Learned of Baba Messiah’s Coming

“After Baba Simeo had promised me that he would help me to know his ways, I quickly developed a passion for studying his teachings and the Bible. And with more bible studies, prayers and reading of the Lord’s sermons, I have learned that he is the second coming of Christ. For instance, I had the chance of reading Baba Messiah’s teaching from a 1959 record when he was in Segegi. I got the document from Father Joseph Oluoch.”

“In the sermon, Baba Messiah says:  

“God the father has sent me to you. He has sent me to bring the message of eternal life to the whole world. He has sent me to gather all believers for their rewards in heaven.” The followers were amazed at his teachings, and they asked him saying: “Where did you meet him before he could send you? “I was with him before I came to the world. He is the one who sent me saying, ‘Simeo my son, go to the world and teach my people the word of life.’ I was with him and still am with him every day,”

“An old man named Musa Akumu asked him saying: “Now that God was sending you, why did he not give you a car or a bicycle that you ride on as you go around preaching?” Baba Simeo replied: “The father knows how my mission on earth will be. But I also know that a message from heaven is never brought to the world by the sound of trumpets or the blowing of horns. It comes in the world as a small, despised, and rejected word, but it grows and overwhelms the world with power and glory.”

“And what is the sign that God has sent you?” “You will see my people come here for me; when the saints and angels come down from heaven; and when the father gets honored through great works of the Holy Spirit.”

“After reading the entire sermon and other sermons of Baba Messiah, I have learned a lot about his mission and coming. And my bible studies have helped me to relate his message with the words of Jesus. Baba Messiah’s coming is supported by some verses in the Bible:

a)    (Mark 13:26-27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
b)    (Mathew 23:39.  For I say unto you, you shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that has come in the name of the Lord)
c)     (Matthew 25:31-46 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, and then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd dividing his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.)
d)    (1 Corinthians 4:5. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, which both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.)


My Show of Faith, My First Procession

“The toughest experience of being a Legio Maria is marching in public in a robe and in the company of other Legios as you pray. It is a step you can only make when you fully acknowledge the faith as part of you because often, it is a grueling and long walk on foot and for several hours on hard earth. And when I finally made the journey on Saturday 10th, December 2005, I had given myself fully and permanently to the service of the Lord. This was no journey for those who have any doubts in their minds about their God. To walk for twenty-two days against strong winds, hot and sweltering sun, and hot tarmac road required so much faith.”


“Our procession began in the morning, just after we had taken a devotional prayer to Mary in the morning. We made our way to St. Francis of Assisi Nyandiwa in Oyugis to prepare for the procession to visit Mama Maria’s mausoleum in Nzoia Epheso and to pray for peace as well. This was a request by Baba Messiah who talked to us in our church at St. Abraham Nyabondo, Kendu Bay diocese. With only Ksh. 250 in my pocket, a single white robe and a few clothes properly packed in my bag, I joined a group of Legios who were walking the over 400 kilometers from Kendu to Epheso Nzoia.”


“We started our journey on 11th Sunday 6pm and we rested on various churches like Rawinji, Mawego, Kobala, Kadongo in Nyakach, Loria just besides the Katito – Kendu Bay road, Rae, Kagango in Ahero and finally St. Peter Manyatta.  Most of our processions were in the evening, night and early morning because of the terrible weather and road conditions, and it took us 6 days to reach Kisumu. I carried the beautifully made image of Baba Messiah and helped with carrying the flag for Oyugis Diocese.”


“The experience we had when we reached St. Mary Ambira was amazing. The spirit of God descended and extraordinary ecstasy filled us. And when Baba Messiah spoke to us, he said that the arch-angels of heaven, the angels and the saints of heaven were covering the entire journey with us. He also told us that the entire Ephesus gathering was going to feel the spiritual impact of our arrival. The he added that we wear light blue robes of Mama Maria for the rest of the journey.”


“When we arrived in Ephesus, the experience was overwhelming. It was 7 p.m. when we entered the Ephesus Church. But as soon as our entourage made its way in, the Holy Spirit descended in the whole church and the gathering was thrown into a big ecstasy. People jumped, shouted and ran to and from different corners of the compound speaking in tongues. Those who were not caught in ecstasy fell down on their knees in worship of the lord. And our entourage processed all the way to the tomb of Mama Maria where we were blessed by Cardinal Romanus Alphonse On’gombe. And after the blessing, I was lost in rapture for over one hour. It was the biggest episode ever in my life. And I thank God for the experience. The tiresome journey to and from Ephesus Nzoia took us 26 days, with 22 days spent on the road and 4 days spent at Ephesus Church.”


Heeding His Call


“Our good lord has called me to be his and I shall heed him for the rest of my life. He has been with me always, counseling me and making promises to me every step of my life. And I am excited that all the promises of Baba Messiah to me have come to pass in my life. When he told me some years ago that he was seeing me gathered somewhere in a crowd of graduating university students and in the company of my parents, I did not know it would come to pass. But today, on my last year at the University and just waiting to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi in December 2015, I am excited that another promise he made to me is about to come to pass.”


“How awesome is our good lord! I am so happy to be part of the group he has called to testify to the world about him. May Baba Messiah grant us peace and wisdom as we learn his ways? Amen.”


Deacon Daniel Joseph Barnaba Yala

Sunday, March 1, 2015

MARY OF LEGIO MARIA: WHO IS SHE?



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.