From the Oracle of Arochukwu to the Rosary: Mary among the Igbo

Southeast Nigeria · The conversion of a people to the Rosary

The history of the evangelization of the igbo people in south-east Nigeria is one of the most extraordinary in Africa: a people who went from consulting ancestral oracles to praying the Rosary in mass, becoming the most dynamic Catholic community in Nigeria.

The Oracle of Arochukwu

Before the arrival of the missionaries, the igbo people had a complex spiritual system based on oracles, cults to ancestors and rites of passage. The most famous of the oracles was the Long Juju de Arochukwu, an oracle in the city of Arochukwu (State of Abia) that was consulted by peoples throughout the region to resolve disputes, issue sentences and ask for protection.

The arrival of the Espirian missionaries at the end of the 19th century was a major cultural shock. The igbo, a people proud of their traditions, did not become passive: they negotiated, resisted and finally adopted Catholicism in a way that transformed both the Church and the igbo culture.

The Rosary as a central devotion

The Rosary became the central devotion of the igbo Catholics. The reasons are many: the repetition of the avemarias reminds of the igob ritual songs; the meditation of the mysteries is compatible with the igobo tradition of deep reflection; and the Virgin Mary, as Mother, fits into the igob value system where motherhood is sacred.

The Rosary's cofradies are the most widespread secular institution in the igbo parishes. The Rosary prayer groups meet daily in homes, churches and public spaces. The month of October (the month of the Rosary) is celebrated with special intensity: processions, vigil, retreat and pilgrimages.

The Virgin Mary as "Nneka"

In the igbo language, the Virgin Mary is called «Nneka» ("the Mother is supreme"). This advocation, spontaneously adopted by the igbo faithful, sums up the relationship of the igbo people with Mary: she is the Mother par excellence, the one who gives life, the one who protects, the one who intercede. The igbo do not need to be explained to them who Mary is: they already know who a mother is.