On Friday, August 22, around 11:00 a.m., in the midst of a large number of pilgrims, we were pleasantly surprised by the visit of the President of the Republic of Seychelles, His Excellency Wavel Ramkalawan, and his delegation to our Church of Saint Alphonsus in Rome.
He was welcomed by the Rector of the House, Fr. Giovanni Congiu; the General Consultor for Africa and Madagascar, Fr. Nicolas Ayouba; and Brother Diego Vinicius, Sacristan of the Church.
Father Giovanni asked him: “Mr. President, just out of curiosity, what is the reason for such a special visit of yours to our Church, the Shrine?”
President Wavel, joyfully, replied: “It is to honor a promise made to a priest friend who recommended it to me. He studied here and told me that when I came to Rome, I should take time to visit the church where the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is kept.”
He then added: “After the audience with the Pope, I met the Vatican Secretary of State and I informed him that I would be visiting the Basilica of Saint Mary Major and the Shrine of Perpetual Help. He encouraged me, saying: You are one of the few presidents who have asked to visit this Shrine Church.”
After these words of welcome, President Wavel and his delegation went to pray for a moment at the feet of the miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The Rector, Father Giovanni, said a prayer over them and gave his blessing, and presented the President with an Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help as a memento of this special visit. For his part, President Wavel was very pleased and wrote a message in the sanctuary’s guest book, a very profound prayer:
“What a blessing to have prayed at the feet of the Blessed Virgin and Jesus. May miracles continue to be performed here. I feel blessed! May Seychelles and her people be blessed! May everyone in need be blessed and relieved from their sufferings.”
We realized that we were welcoming a Christian guided by the values of the Christian faith, to which he remains firmly and deeply attached. It was a beautiful and moving conclusion to the morning.
To President Wavel Ramkalawan, we made this promise: Mr. President Wavel, you are always welcome in this shrine church. We are grateful for your thoughtfulness and attention towards us, and we assure you of our prayers for you, your family, and the people of Seychelles. May God bless and protect you always. Amen.
Fr. Nicolas AYOUBA, C.Ss.R.
General Consultor
