On 22 August 1955, in the Benedictine mission hospital at Nongoma, a German missionary sister and midwife named Reinolda May saw the Virgin Mary after receiving Communion and heard her ask to be venerated as the "Tabernacle of the Most High". Nine further visions followed over the next sixteen years; in one of them Mary asked for a sanctuary at a place where seven springs well up and meet, and the springs were found in the forest at Ngome. The shrine built there draws pilgrims from across Southern Africa into a remote fold of the Zululand hills.
The devotion at Ngome grew for decades without official approval. Bishop Aurelian Bilgeri of Eshowe consented to a painted image and a small chapel, but refused publicity and refused a larger church. Pilgrims came privately all the same, to pray at the chapel and to collect water from the springs. In 1992 Bishop Mansuet Biyase blessed an open-air altar and the diocese named Ngome a place of prayer, opening the way to organised pilgrimage. The Church has made no pronouncement on the supernatural character of the visions.
📜 History & Spiritual Significance
The first vision came on 22 August 1955, immediately after Communion: the Virgin said she wished to be venerated as "the Tabernacle of the Most High" and told the sister to speak of it to her priest. Reinolda May, a German-born Benedictine of Tutzing, was then head of the maternity section she had opened at the Benedictine Mission Hospital in Nongoma, the first sister in Zululand to train as a midwife. Ten visions in all were recorded, the last on 2 May 1971 (Ngome Marian Shrine).
In the fourth vision, on 15 March 1956, Mary pointed northwest and asked for a sanctuary "at a place where seven springs well up and meet". Wells were found in the forest near the Ngome school, on ground the local Zulu population already venerated, and the chapel raised there was consecrated at Pentecost 1966. The picture of Our Lady, the Tabernacle of the Most High, painted to Sister Reinolda's description, was placed in it.
Bishop Bilgeri did not want the visions publicised, and he refused a larger church. Pilgrims travelled to the chapel regardless, to pray and to collect water from the springs. A larger church was built at the site in 1984, and in 1992 Bishop Biyase blessed an open-air altar and allowed Ngome to be designated a place of prayer, with organised pilgrimage promoted from the diocese (The Southern Cross).
Sister Reinolda is buried at Inkamana Abbey, whose priest serves as custodian of the shrine. Pilgrims report healings at the springs, and the comparison drawn is with Lourdes.
☩ Pilgrimage Sites in KwaZulu-Natal
Shrine of Our Lady of Ngome
The shrine church stands in the Ngome forest where the seven springs meet, the place Sister Reinolda understood the Virgin to have asked for. It holds the picture of Our Lady, the Tabernacle of the Most High, painted to her description. Sisters live on the site and receive pilgrims.
Stations of the Cross
A hillside path with Stations of the Cross provides pilgrims with opportunities for prayer and meditation in the beautiful Zululand countryside.
The Springs
Seven springs well up and meet in the forest below the shrine. Pilgrims pray there and collect the water, and some dip their feet in it while they pray.
Pilgrims' Accommodation
The shrine complex includes simple accommodation facilities for overnight pilgrims, reflecting the site's commitment to welcoming visitors from across Southern Africa.
🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations
Feast of Our Lady of Ngome — August 22
The principal celebration marking the anniversary of the first apparition draws thousands of pilgrims for outdoor Mass, processions, and special devotions.
Assumption of Mary — August 15
Major Marian celebration featuring traditional Zulu cultural elements alongside Catholic liturgy.
Monthly Pilgrimage Days — First Saturday
Regular monthly pilgrimages throughout the year maintain the site's spiritual vitality and provide ongoing opportunities for devotion.
🛏️ Where to Stay
Ngome Pilgrim's Rest (pilgrim accommodation) — Simple pilgrim lodging at the shrine itself; reservations are made through the shrine chaplain. Website
Aloe Lifestyle Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Four-star hotel in Eshowe, the cathedral town of the diocese. Reserve this hotel
A Kings View (guesthouse) — Guesthouse in Eshowe. Reserve this hotel
More hotels in KwaZulu-Natal on Booking.com →
Accommodation available to book near KwaZulu-Natal. Pilgrim houses and religious guesthouses are listed above — many take bookings directly and do not appear on booking sites.
🚗 Getting There
By Air: King Shaka International Airport (DUR), north of Durban, is the nearest international gateway; the shrine lies about 330 km north of Durban.
By Car: The shrine is in the Ngome forest of northern Zululand, about 85 km east of Vryheid. The last stretch is rural road.
By Bus: Limited public transport; organized pilgrimage buses operate from major cities during feast days.
📚 Further Reading
Books:
Denis Hurley, Faith and Morals in South Africa — Context of Catholic life during apartheid era.
Mark Shaw & Wanjiru M. Gitau. The Kingdom of God in Africa: A History of African Christianity — Continental history of African Christianity; context for a Marian apparition in rural Zululand during the apartheid era.
Immaculee Ilibagiza. Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa — Account of the Church-approved Marian apparitions in Rwanda; the closest African parallel to the Ngome devotion.
Wincenty Laszewski. The World of Marian Apparitions: Mary's Appearances and Messages from Fatima to Today — Survey of Marian apparitions worldwide; includes the African apparitions alongside the Ngome devotion.
🔗 Useful Links
Ngome Marian Shrine — Official shrine information.
Diocese of Eshowe — Diocesan contacts and the parish list in the Southern African Catholic Directory.
South Africa Tourism — Travel information and practical guidance.
🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations
Durban (330 km south) — Emmanuel Cathedral and multicultural Catholic communities.
Eshowe (161 km south) — Cathedral town with historic Catholic presence.
Mariannhill (314 km south) — Historic Trappist monastery and mission.
🪶 Closing Reflection
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."