Case file · Apparition / miracle
Legio Maria: visions on the shore of Lake Victoria
In 1963 Gaudencia Aoko and Simeo Ondeto, Luo Catholics in western Kenya, founded Legio Maria after visions and reported healings; followers came to regard Ondeto as a messiah.
1963 CE · -0.95, 34.25 · status: account
The account
The church grew quickly, at one point claiming tens of thousands of members, and broke with the Catholic Church while keeping the Latin Mass, rosaries and Marian devotion. Members believe Ondeto rose after death in 1991. Its holy site, Got Kwer, is in Migori County; the point is approximate.
The sceptical view
Healings and visions are reported by members; the church is an example of an African-initiated Christianity documented by historians of religion.