Description
A German nun delivered 28,000 babies in rural Zululand — then reported seeing the Virgin Mary ten times. This is her story, and her sacred song.
Sister Reinolda, a humble German nun who spent her life serving the poorest people of Zululand, claimed to see the Virgin Mary at Ngome — encounters that led to the message “Tabernacle of the Most High” and the founding of one of Africa’s most powerful pilgrimage sites. Could she become Africa’s next saint?
This original sacred song is a musical tribute to one of the most extraordinary hidden lives in modern Catholic history. Through its lyrics, it tells the story of her sacrifice, her love for the poor, and the Marian apparitions that gave birth to one of Africa's most beloved pilgrimage sites.
Her Life
She was born Franziska May on 21 October 1901 in Pfahlheim, a small village in southwest Germany. As a young Benedictine sister of Tutzing, she crossed the ocean to South Africa, learned to speak Zulu, and walked to families in their homes as part of her missionary calling.
Against every doubt — her age, her limited English, her lack of formal education — she trained as a midwife. Over 38 years at the Nongoma Benedictine Mission Hospital, she helped bring more than 28,000 children into the world, among them Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini. The Zulu people gave her a name of their own: Mashiyane. She wore it with quiet joy.
She fed the hungry. She clothed the poor. She sat with the dying. She led the lost back to faith. She never sought recognition and never asked for anything in return.
The Apparitions
Between 1955 and 1971, Sister Reinolda reported ten apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the Ngome area of KwaZulu-Natal. In these encounters, Mary identified herself as "the Tabernacle of the Most High" and asked that a place of prayer be established where seven springs flow together.
Despite years of doubt from church authorities, the faithful came anyway — drawn by something they could not explain. A shrine was built. The springs were found exactly where Mary had pointed.
Today, the Ngome Marian Shrine is one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations in southern Africa. Thousands come each year seeking healing, peace, and renewal. The water from the seven springs is still collected. Reports of healing continue.
The Cause for Sainthood
Sister Reinolda died on 1 April 1981 at Inkamana Abbey. But her story was far from over.
In 2014, the Parish of St Joseph in Ngome wrote to Bishop Xolelo Thaddeus Kumalo requesting that the Church formally consider Sister Reinolda for sainthood. Bishop Kumalo took up the cause, and the Diocese of Eshowe initiated the process on her behalf. Later that year, the Vatican granted the nihil obstat — confirming that no obstacle exists to proceeding — and Sister Reinolda was given the title "Servant of God," the first official step on the path toward canonisation. Two reported miracles have since been submitted to the Vatican as part of the beatification process.
The Church is investigating. The faithful are praying. Africa is watching.
This Song
Let this music draw you into her world — the mist over the Zululand hills, the quiet of a chapel at dawn, a life poured out in hiddenness that is now emerging as one of the most profound spiritual testimonies on the African continent.
What was hidden has been lifted. What was small has touched the world.
🕊️ Servant of God, Sister Reinolda Franziska May OSB — pray for us.
📩 To support her cause or report a grace received:
postulator@reinoldamay.co.za
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