This email address is being protected from spambots. UNconfirms death of one of last Rwandan genocide fugitives, Exiled Rwandan opposition politician shot dead in Cape Town, Rwanda president suggests UK extradite genocide suspects after asylum deal, Hotel Rwanda dissident goes on trial accused of terrorism and murder, Zimbabwe denies harbouring deceased Rwandan genocide fugitive. Elle y a fait sa prise dhabit religieux le 6/07/2004 ; le noviciat dbuta le 31 Juillet de la mme anne. She was then led to the place of the cherished of God, where she saw millions of people with white garments who were happy, but not with the same degree of rapture as the seven angels. She temporarily stayed at Bishops residence in Gikongoro. She was shown a river of blood, of decapitated heads, of corpses piled high upon each other, of untold destruction, torture, and hatred. These witnesses, historically linked, were the only ones on the scene for some months, at least up to June 1982. The extraordinary story of these three schoolgirls inspired my friend, the American playwright Katori Hall, to write Our Lady of Kibeho. It was of a woman calling herself "Mother of the Word". For reasons mentioned below, she was unable to complete her studies. The two commissions continued their task as usual and were reinforced with some new members. Our Lady of Kibeho review startling story of a heavenly 'visitation', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. In contrast, the evolution of the alleged subsequent visionaries, especially after the apparitions were over, reflects disquieting personal situations, which have reinforced the existing reservations in regard to them and discouraged ecclesiastical authorities from proposing them to the faithful as points of reference. They resided in Gatsata compound in Kigali, at the road to Byumba. The young professed was given the name of Alphonsine of the Glorious Cross ". The authentic conversions of the seers proved that the Good Mother had come to reinforce the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Alphonsine Mumureke left in 1994 during the genocide and never came back. Others asked her for proof to support her story. Misago writes in his declaration of June 29th, 2001: A visionary, even when recognised as authentic by the church authorities, remains a human being like everyone else, with his/her personal temperament, qualities and shortcomings. Though Anathalie couldnt see anyone, she was confident that it was the Blessed Mother who was speaking to her: My child, you must pray, for the world is in a horrible way; people have turned from God and the love of my Son, Jesus.6 Our Lady then asked Anathalie if she would help save souls, adding that she would suffer much if she accepted the mission. The mentioned commissions produced numerous reports which were submitted to the Bishop of the Diocese of Butare to which Kibeho still belonged at that time. Augustine Misago, Bishop of Gikongoro declared the final judgement on the event of the apparitions of Kibeho on June 29th, 2001, in agreement with the members of the two commissions and with the Magisterium of the Universal Church in Rome as well as with the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda. The change was so instantaneous that some of the girls were confused and made the sign of the Cross. The two commissions completed their investigation twenty years after their creation. Her mother, Immaculate Mukarasana, died some a few years after the genocide of 1994. Marie-Claire became increasingly agitated in the matter and began spying on the seers more closely, peeking at their letters and diaries and inventing nastier tactics to unmask the connivers. She was sure that the devil was involved, and she was determined to uncover the conspiracy. May it be a call for the Church of Rwanda, and beyond, to turn with confidence to Our Lady of Sorrows. Anathalie Mukamazimpaka was the next one to have visions, which lasted from January 1982 to December 3, 1983. Marie Claire had been among those who had dismissed Alphonsine's claims, arguing that her fellow student just wanted attention. SUPPORT LA CROIX INTERNATIONALS COMMUNITY OF READERS. The Guardian reports that it all started when 16-year-old schoolgirl Alphonsine Mumureke who was in the cafeteria of the Catholic boarding school Kibeho College, Rwanda, said she heard a voice "soft as air and sweeter than music".. Alphonsine said she saw a beautiful woman "neither white nor black" floating above the floor in a flowing seamless dress, with a veil that covered her hair. Most of Rwandas inhabitants make a living from agriculture and livestock. She was able to return to Rwanda in early December 1996. Congo) family whom she had also met during the time of the apparitions at Kibeho, she she continued her tragical journey up to Abidjan at Ivory Coast a few weeks later and got into contact with Father Raymond Halter, a Marian priest who knew her since her last apparition on November 28th, 1989. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Unfortunately, they did not have a child, despite their strong desire to start a family. between November 28th, 1981 and November 28th, 1982. Script error: No such module "Draft topics". There, they were caught off guard by the genocide of 1994. When Alphonsine awoke, she was overwhelmed by the love she felt. The voice told her she was sad because no one was listening to her, causing Anathalie to cry even more. Gabrielle Brooks, Yasmin Mwanza and Pepter Lunkuse in rehearsals for Our Lady of Kibeho. Shortly before the apparitions she was admitted in Kibeho College in October 1981 in order to continue her studies after primary school. OUR LADY OF KIBEHO IN RWANDA THE BVM APPEARED TO THREE GIRLS, ALPHONSINE , NATHALIE AND MARY CLAIRE, WHO WERE ENROLLED IN KIBEHO HIGH SCHOOL FROM 1981 THROUGH 1989. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Today, she lives in a small one-story house on the church grounds, directly across from . Alphonsine Mumureke is said to have taken, on March 20, 1982, a "mystical journey" of several hours with the Virgin in another "world" throughout "places" that she describes in symbolic language that makes one think of realities such as Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, but with a vocabulary very different from the one of the Catechism. Her mother, Gaudence Mukabaziga, died on Octobre 17th, 1998 from malaria. . However, as Divine Providence would arrange it, a space had unexpectedly opened up in a government-run all-girl school staffed by religious sisters. Rwanda: The Dove's music united a nation torn by genocide. Rwanda is one of the poorest countries in the world, but recently it has been counted among the most successful African countries regarding development and national economy. The executions spread like wildfire throughout the country. Nathalie Mukamazimpaka was born as the daughter of Laurent Ngango and Gaudence Mukabaziga in 1964 in Munini in the current district of Nyaruguru, in the parish of Muganza, Diocese of Gikongoro. The Mother of Jesus wished to manifest herself in your country to some children, reminding them of the effectiveness of fasting and prayer, especially the prayer of the Rosary. Lateron, she was hosted in a community of the Daughters of Mary Queen of the Apostles Sisters up to May 1996. Research was carried out in her family and her native region and there are specific reports and testimonies on this subject. Some of those children who survived have helped Katori in researching her play. Witnesses say that Marie Claire was killed in an attempt or defend or to find her husband kidnapped and lead together with other victims to an unknown destination. The number of supposed visionaries listed in the file of the commissions of inquiry reached 14 on November 28th, 1982, one year after the forst apparitions; on November 28th, 1983 they were 33 already. I invite the parents or guardians as well as the friends of the visionaries of Kibeho still alive to moderately treat the visionaries, avoiding exaltation only for them having been favoured by the approved apparitions. Today, we humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online's independence. Father Gbangbo seems to have played a major role in Alphonsines life as a spiritual advisor, also having influence on the Archbishop of Abidjan, Cardinal Bernard Agr, with whom Alphonsine was able to get into contact. Heaven had directed her to tell the officials to pray, to forgive, and to stop persecuting the Tutsis and sending them into exile. On January 12, 1982, she appeared to Anathalie Mukamazimpaka, another devout seventeen-year-old student. The personal transformation of the seers (who passed all the criteria established by the Church), as well as many documents and investigations, were carefully examined. Pray my Seven Sorrows rosary to find repentance, she said, charging Marie-Claire with the distinctive mission of propagating this chaplet.9. She promotes the message of Our Lady of Kibeho and helps the pilgrims in any way she can. When she awoke from the nightmare, she found two friends supporting her, questioning her and advising her to return to the dormitory. So, ever since July 1982, Nathalie has been permanently staying close to the site of the apparitions at Kibeho. He encouraged her to study theology and catechesis until she obtained her theological baccalaureate. The next day, one of the students, Marie-Claire, led a group of fellow students in a confrontation with Alphonsine. When one of the nuns went to check on her, she found Alphonsine quite motionless on the bed, like a corpse. - Developed by jofarsystems.com. With the help of an Ivorian-Congolese (D.R. Thousands of citizens were brutally killed in the parish church and, a year later, on the esplanade where the apparitions had taken place. Fortunately, the Benebikira Sisters had just come back to Kibeho and reopened their convent, the school and the health centre. There, a great number of unarmed civilians was slaughtered. Alphonsine Mumureke was born on March 21st, 1965 in Cyizihira, in the parish of Zaza, Diocese of Kibungo as the daughter of Thadde Gakwaya and Mary Immaculate Mukarasana. In 1981, when Alphonsine was admitted, the school was called "College de Kibeho"; later in early 1984 it was named "Ecole des lettres de Kibeho" (Humanistic School of Kibeho). The Virgin appeared to them with the name "Nyina wa Jambo", that is "Mother of the Word", which is synonymous to "Umubyeyl W'iamna" that is, "Mother of God", as she herself explained. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The situation became more and more confusing and it was therefore difficult for the church authorities to find the truth. Our Lady promised special graces to those who meditate on her sorrows. At first, no one took the adolescent's claims seriously. var addy_text06979af1fb68ed1cff9c75452df96a61 = 'sanctuaire.kibeho' + '@' + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak06979af1fb68ed1cff9c75452df96a61').innerHTML += ''+addy_text06979af1fb68ed1cff9c75452df96a61+'<\/a>'; Copyright Sanctuaire Notre Dame de Kibeho. Thus, almost all the land is cultivated, with the average property per household being less than two-and-a-half acres. From there, she continued her escape up to Bukavu in former Zaire together with many other refugees, including priests and religious of all ethnic groups. He looked after her until his death in December 1998. addy06979af1fb68ed1cff9c75452df96a61 = addy06979af1fb68ed1cff9c75452df96a61 + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; There is no love and no peace. At the time of the apparitions she attended Grade 4 of the elementary level at Kibeho College. Most historical accounts of the genocide focus on either society or the state, the former exploring the longstanding racism in Rwandan society and the latter documenting the complex power struggles in government and the ways in which propaganda radiated from the capital to the provinces and inspired the violence. Forename Alphonsine. Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was established after the genocide; and thousands of pilgrims, increasing in numbers year by year, were visiting the Shrine. Whenever God called someone for a special mission in the history of salvation, He chose him / her right there, in their actual personal circumstances, and used him / her as he / she is, with his / her personality and character traits, all his / her qualities and personal shortcomings, capabilities and limitations. 1The Tutsis and Hutus are not tribes they belong to the same Banyarwanda nationality. It would be imprudent to somehow "canonize"the visionaries of Kibeho while still alive. Like many imperialists, when the Germans arrived in the late 1800s, they began to foment unrest through prejudice in order to tighten their own control. Why did he die in a cell? When asked about her future plans at the time of the apparitions, Alphonsine used to express her wish to join the religious congregation of the Benebikira Sisters. Congo, where she sought refuge at the house of befriended families, who knew her from Kibeho. You should enable them to normally operate within their surroundings and go about their usual activities. While there her life took a decisive turn. I am the mother of the word, replied the woman, whom Alphonsine immediately recognised as the Virgin Mary. More study was yet required before official approval, but pilgrims were now permitted to visit and pray at the apparition site. During the war, between 800,000 and 1 million were killed. Alphonsine Mumureke left in 1994 during the genocide and never came back. But she sought a more secluded life completely devoted to prayers. At the time of the apparitions she attended Grade 4 of the elementary level at Kibeho College. She responded: I am the Mother of the Word.. / My heart is full of sadness, / My child, show me the love, / You love me, / Come closer to my heart.10 The Heavenly Mother had come to ask for repentance, fasting, penance, prayer; and her children were not responding. Her religious name is Alphonsine of the Glorious Cross. She was baptised on February 2nd, 1968 at the age of 4. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a most beautiful placea grassy plain filled with sparkling droplets of color. Therefore, my daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do you not forget me; consider my anguish, and imitate, as far as you can, my grief. (The Glories of Mary, St. Alphonsus de Liguori, p. 478). Katoris background as a journalist and an actor bring a rare sensibility to her plays, which combine a reporters eye for a good story and historical detail together with an understanding of how to craft characters that only an actor can experience. Her mother, Gaudence Mukabaziga, died on Octobre 17th, 1998 from malaria. Editions of the Shrine of Our Lady of Kibeho, The Shrine, Our Lady of Kibeho: her actual life and perspectives for the future, Declaration of the Bishop of Gikongoro bearing the final judgement on the events of the "Apparitions of Kibeho". Perhaps the most significant vision occurred on August 15, 1982, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter. And everywhere there was blood, flies.13. As visionary, Marie Claire is especially known for the message concerning the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary which goes hand in hand with an urgent call to repentance: Repent, repent, repent! Aprs y avoir obtenu un baccalaurat en thologie, en juin 2003, elle est entre dans un monastre des Clarisses dAbidjan. The unfolding of the Rwandan genocidal tragedy in 1994, verifying with gruesome exactitude a prophecy given by Our Lady of Kibeho just a few years earlier, invites the reader to a sobering reflection: heavens call to repentance must not go unheeded. Only the three initial testimonies merit being considered authentic; they were given by Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and by Marie Claire Mukangango. Colleagues, neighbours, friends and even family members slaughtered one another. Nathalie Mukamazimpaka stopped her studies after the apparitions and devoted herself totally to prayer. Then she issued a terrible warning: Rwanda was going to become a hell on Earth in a conflict that would see the picturesque rivers of Kibeho village run red with blood. The group concluded that she was truly with Our Lady on some mysterious expedition; they had no choice but to wait. 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