Our Lady of the Bonoua Guard (Ivory Coast)

Marian devotion

Where is he?

Our Lady of the Guard is a Marian sanctuary in Bonoua, in the south-east of Côte d'Ivoire, within the diocese of Grand- Bassam. Vatican News lists it among the four great Marian shrines who participated in the national day of prayer and reconsecration of the country to the Virgin Mary, along with the Marian national sanctuary of Abiyan, the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Liberation of Issia and the sanctuary of the Divine Mercy of Raviart.

OpenStreetMap identifies the location of Bonoua by node 843510776, in 5.2737, − 3.5967. That's the reference used on the map. The precision is locality because an unequivocal geometry of the sanctuary building has not been verified in this lot. The point is directed towards Bonoua and does not aim to mark the altar or statue with an accuracy that the source does not allow.

Documented history

The Vatican source documents the existence of the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Bonoua Guard and its belonging to the diocese of Grand- Bassam. It also notes that the rectors of the great Marian shrines of Côte d'Ivoire reached a consensus to convene the national prayer. The information makes it possible to affirm the public reality of the sanctuary and its participation in the Marian pastoral care of the country.

The research report consulted contains a celebration of the image and a date of blessing in 2002 from a local audiovisual source. Since the original decree of erection and a complete diocesan fact sheet that details the entire chronology have not been located in this lot, this reference is kept as a data pending from the survey and is not presented here as a fully established ecclesial date. What is proven by the Vatican source is the existence of the sanctuary and its activity within the national Marian network.

The name "Our Lady of the Guard" expresses a request for protection entrusted to the intercession of Mary. It does not amount to saying that the sanctuary is the stage of an apparition. The life of a sanctuary is also built with liturgy, pilgrimage, prayer and service, even if there is no extraordinary phenomenon recognized.

Tradition

The faithful who come to Bonoua venerate Mary as the Mother of the Lord and ask for her intercession for the families and for the country. The national reconsecration described by Vatican News was formulated as a call for peace, fraternity, reconciliation, coexistence and solidarity. They are pastoral and spiritual intentions, not a statement about private messages.

In the Catholic faith, Mary's veneration leads to Christ. Mary does not love her: she is asked to intercede before God. This distinction is especially maintained when a sanctuary receives a degree of protection or guard.

Legend

There is no local apparition or a recognized miracle linked to Our Lady of the Bonoua Guard in the verified sources for this lot. Devotional accounts that can be circulated must be preserved as a tradition until there is documented research and ecclesial pronunciation.

Ecclesial State

The state indicated is permitted veneration, understood as a public Catholic cult in a sanctuary integrated into the diocesan pastoral and the national network of Marian shrines. A decree approving an apparition or a miracle associated with this place is not included in the cross-cutting sources. The existence of the sanctuary is not confused with the approval of a supernatural phenomenon.

Anecdotes and stories

The national prayer day of Côte d'Ivoire shows how a local sanctuary can be integrated into a common intention: to ask for peace and reconciliation throughout the country. Bonoua thus appears together with shrines of different dioceses, and therefore he will not fail to preserve his local identity and his own history.

Prayer

St. Mary, Our Lady of the Guard, intercedes before God for Bonoua, for the diocese of Grand- Bassam and for all the people of Côte d'Ivoire. Save the families, accompany those who suffer and teach us to work for peace, fraternity and reconciliation. Amen.

Sources

• Vatican News, Marian shrines of Ivory Coast and national prayer day (HTTP 200).
• OpenStreetMap node 843510776, locality of Bonoua (HTTP 200).