Then she slowly drifted upwards and disappeared into the clouds fading light. By Ginny Kubitz Moyer December 13, 2010. May it be a call for the Church of Rwanda, and beyond, to turn with confidence to Our Lady of Sorrows. 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. The Hutus continued to attack the Tutsis through the 1960s, killing thousands, triggering retaliation by the Tutsis. Shortly before the apparitions she was admitted in Kibeho College in October 1981 in order to continue her studies after primary school. 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! The young professed was given the name of Alphonsine of the Glorious Cross ". Rwanda and Burundi were ruled separately under two different Tutsi monarchs. The visionaries of Kibeho are no exception from the rule. 341 Butare / RwandaCentral AfricaThis email address is being protected from spambots. Thus, they gave priority to the first eight supposed visionaries: Those of the first year of the apparitions at Kibeho, i.e. 7 . On August 22nd, 1987, Marie Claire celebrated her church wedding to Elie Ntabadahiga, a member of Mushubi parish. Dans la suite, elle partit avec des connaissances vers le Zare (aujourdhui RD Congo). In eager anticipation, thousands of pilgrims descended upon Kibeho for the occasion of the Solemnity, many looking for miracles, cures for themselves or for family members, answers to prayers or spiritual healings. Rwanda: The Dove's music united a nation torn by genocide. Then she saw a light in the distance. She completed her secondary school studies at the Humanistic School of Kibeho in July 1989 with a secretary degree (level A2). So, ever since July 1982, Nathalie has been permanently staying close to the site of the apparitions at Kibeho. Most of them were Tutsis. Our Lady of Kibeho is at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, until 2 February. Thousands of people were slaughtered in their churches, their decapitated bodies dumped into rivers. There, a great number of unarmed civilians was slaughtered. In the evaluation of the facts and the messages, only the public apparitions are taken into consideration. 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. . Today, Kibeho is best known as a place of apparitions and pilgrimages. Soon, the local faithful began to gather at the school grounds, hoping to hear the messages and to see the visionary. They are the ones who made Kibeho known as a place of apparitions and pilgrimage causing crowds of people to flock there. The sins of her children caused the heavenly Mother such deep sorrow that she cried bitterly as she pleaded for her children to pray and to love one another. At the same time, she was aspirant in the order of Saint Claire. She was baptised on July 27th, 1977 at the age of 12 years. by Sr. M. Faustina Olson, F.H.I. Young and powerless, their warnings went unheeded. At the time of the civil war and genocide of 1994, she remained at Kibeho, at the scene of two terrible massacres. He became her spiritual director and took care of her during her stay at Ivory Coast. She was able to return to Rwanda in early December 1996. Civilians who had taken refuge in the parish church there in April 1994 were killed. Feminine Name French. Bodies lay crumpled, some hardly visible among the piles of burlap sacks, cooking pots and clothes: a mother whose child was still tied to her back, a young boy thrown over the torso of a man, another curled up in between the ashes of cooking fires. Her parents were Thadde Gakwaya and Mary Immaculate Mukagasana. The first apparition of Alphonsine took place on November 28th, 1981, her last exactly eight years later, on November 28th, 1989. Others asked her for proof to support her story. Shortly before the apparitions she was admitted in Kibeho College in October 1981 in order to continue her studies after primary school. 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. The history of the Church is replete with examples of Our Ladys watchful and solicitous care for the welfare of her children. In the case of the three visionaries named above, who are at the origin of the fame of Kibeho, nothing that they said or did during the apparitions is contrary to Christian faith and morals. The Service Centre was led by a priest. Only the three initial testimonies merit being considered authentic; they were given by Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and by Marie Claire Mukangango. Anathalie Mukamazimpaka's visions began in January 1982 and ended on 3 December 1983. In the early hours of the genocide, she fled Kibeho and an Ivorian-Congolese couple took her to the DR-Congo and then to the Cte d'Ivoire. These witnesses, historically linked, were the only ones on the scene for some months, at least up to June 1982. On January 12, 1982, she appeared to Anathalie Mukamazimpaka, another devout seventeen-year-old student. At the time of the civil war and genocide of 1994, she remained at Kibeho, at the scene of two terrible massacres. Ses parents sappelaient Thadde GAKWAYA et Marie Immacule MUKARUSANA.\r27 juillet 1977, Alphonsine est baptise lge de 12 ans. Anathalie agreed whole-heartedly to this requesta task she continues to this day. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; After the creation of the Diocese of Gikongoro in 1992, everything connected with the apparitions of Kibeho was transferred to the new diocese led by Mons. She had just finished a geography test and was filled with inexplicable emotions: confusion, joy, dread and fear. When Belgium withdrew in 1962, Rwanda and Burundi became two independent countries. The Father's Quilt: Rwanda: Mary's Apparition Tune in August 30, 2022: 1pm Mary Appears In Kibeho, to Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka and Marie Claire Mukangango were the 3 young women. From time to time, relatives and Christians from her home parish, Muganza, come to visit her. addy06979af1fb68ed1cff9c75452df96a61 = addy06979af1fb68ed1cff9c75452df96a61 + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; The others continued their verbal attack, laughing and waving their hands in front of her; but she was oblivious to her surroundings. With the help of an Ivorian-Congolese (D.R. Given the large number of the supposed visionaries, who had never had apparitions in a group and thus had to be investigated one by one, the commissions had to create methods of more efficiency in order to get on with their work. Public are those apparitions that take place in the presence of various testimonies, which does not necessarily mean a crowd. When he died Father Basile Gbangbo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Abidjan, took over as spiritual guide. Son nom de religion est Alphonsine de la Croix Glorieuse. At the same time, she was aspirant in the order of Saint Claire. 11www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1990/september/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19900908_stadio-nyamirambo_it.html. It was from there that she was urgently transferred to Nairobi for medical care. At first, no one took the adolescent's claims seriously. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Colleagues, neighbours, friends and even family members slaughtered one another. article "Alphonsine Mumureke" is from Wikipedia, https://en.everybodywiki.com/index.php?title=Alphonsine_Mumureke&oldid=2464770. Nathalie's father, Laurent Ngango is still alive and stays about 10 km from Kibeho. Today, she lives in a small one-story house on the church grounds, directly across from . 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. In the case of the three visionaries named above, who are at the origin of the fame of Kibeho, nothing that they said or did during the apparitions is contrary to Christian faith and morals. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. In 1960, the Hutus won municipal elections, causing thousands more Tutsis to flee. 2 . After finishing school, she worked as a secretary in the Catholic education department of Butare in southern Rwanda. Lateron, she was hosted in a community of the Daughters of Mary Queen of the Apostles Sisters up to May 1996. While Katoris play touches on the political, economic and social, it is more interested in how religion can influence the personal and political behaviour of a nation. It is estimated that, in just three months, almost one million were killed as the extremist Hutus targeted the minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus. When one of the nuns went to check on her, she found Alphonsine quite motionless on the bed, like a corpse. The scholastic body was increasingly upset over all the commotion, but they could not prevent the news from spreading to the nearby villages. Kibeho is a small parish nestled in Mubuga, the land of the seven hills in eastern Rwanda. 2Our Lady of Kibeho, Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin, 2009, 4th ed, Hay House, Inc., p. 35. She couldnt imagine how she could bring that message to the president! The director asked her to apologize to the whole school for her lies, but Alphonse couldnt deny that she had seen the Mother of the Word. In the evaluation of the facts and the messages, only the public apparitions are taken into consideration. The executions spread like wildfire throughout the country. Get the latest from La Croix International. The White Fathers were successful in their evangelization efforts, generating a fervent, faith-filled people and abundant vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The visionaries said to have seen her sometimes with joined hands, sometimes with outstretched arms. Theirs was a protest against the moral, social and political decay of their community a reminder that sometimes young people can sense tragedy ahead in a way that adults are incapable of. The exceptional long duration of the apparitions did not discourage the members of the two commissions, who worked with great zeal and the desire to examine the events impartially and without bias, investigating without rush but with patience and calm. Increasingly distressed by the unrelenting attacks, Alphonsine begged Our Lady to appear to other girls in order that they would believe her. She had to leave Kibeho at the time of the genocide and, after a time in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she went to Nairobi, Kenya. Her mother, Immaculate Mukarasana, died some a few years after the genocide of 1994. The list of its authors can be seen in its historicaland/or the page Edithistory:Alphonsine Mumureke. Unfortunately, they did not have a child, despite their strong desire to start a family. Why did he die in a cell? As long as he/she is still living on this earth, he/she also remains a sinner, called to, do penance and to grow in his / her life of faith and personal sanctification. When His Excellency was still an abbot, he was providentially selected as a spiritual guide in the early stages of the apparitions. May she accompany each one in his journey and obtain for him the gift of reconciliation and peace. Then a few months later -- January 12, 1982 -- there were rumors that the Virgin Mary had appeared to another Kibeho student named Nathalie Mukamazimpaka. The visions lasted for hours. The voice told her she was sad because no one was listening to her, causing Anathalie to cry even more. Finally, the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front), comprised mostly of Tutsi refugees from Uganda and refugees from Burundi, battled its way through the government-led conflict and slowly gained ground. Kibeho, a small mountain village in southern Rwanda, is also the name of a parish founded in 1934, dedicated to Mary Mother of God. This parish was well known for its strong Catholic faith and gave a large number of priests and consecrated persons to the Church of Rwanda. This email address is being protected from spambots. Tens of thousands of pilgrims now travel to Kibeho each year in search of benediction. Heaven had directed her to tell the officials to pray, to forgive, and to stop persecuting the Tutsis and sending them into exile. They resided in Gatsata compound in Kigali, at the road to Byumba. Various reasons justify the choice by Our Lady of these three visionaries already approved as visionaries. 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. In the end, they could not prove the visionary and her position wrong. Since 1998 it goes by "Groupe Scolaire Mere du Verbe" (School of the Mother of the Word). Right in front of everyone she suddenly went into ecstasy as she beheld the Blessed Virgin who introduced herself as the Mother of the Word. And today she is a member of a cloistered congregation in Rome. Most of the colleges students were murdered. In 1900, they built (of thatch) the first Catholic ChurchThe Church of the Holy Spirit of Save. Kibeho College, founded in 1967 on the initiative of the parish priest of Kibeho, Father Grgoire Kamugisha, has often changed name in order to conform to the changing programs of the Ministry of National Education. The exact date and circumstances of their death are not (yet) elicited. between November 28th, 1981 and November 28th, 1982. On April 3, 2014, Pope Francis referred to Our Lady of Kibeho when addressing the bishops of Rwanda: Dear brothers, I want to assure you again of my closeness to you, and to your Diocesan communities, to the entire nation of Rwanda, and I entrust you all to the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Alphonsine Mumureke (Nneka Okafor) is in a trance as she believes she is seeing the Virgin Mary in Katori Hall's OUR LADY OF KIBEHO (photo 2014 by Joan Marcus) The Pershing Square Signature Center The Irene Diamond Stage 480 West 42nd St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves. Unable to answer her friends questions, the distraught Marie-Claire began to pen a letter to her mother asking permission to come home. The next dayMarch 2as the class processed into chapel, Marie-Claire again lost consciousness. You should enable them to normally operate within their surroundings and go about their usual activities. addy5b9eadd281548aea5c9407afe17843cf = addy5b9eadd281548aea5c9407afe17843cf + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; This is also valid for Alphonsine who continued to attract many people up to the end of her apparitions. Thus, they gave priority to the first eight supposed visionaries: Those of the first year of the apparitions at Kibeho, i.e. Thirty astounded students had witnessed Marie-Clare in ecstasy. Marie Claire and Elie formed a happy couple. Following her studies, Marie Claire Mukangango became a teacher. Script error: No such module "Draft topics". She witnessed acts of murder and genocide against innocent people. Some of those children who survived have helped Katori in researching her play. 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. Among the signs for the credibility of the apparitions, the following should be mentioned: 1. the good mental health, the human balance, the attentiveness and the sincerity of the visionaries certified in the conclusions of the medical commission, comprising the opinion of a psychiatrist; 2. the respectful and sincere climate in which the events took place; 3. the absence of sensationalism in the habit of the visionaries, which indicates that the apparitions did not occur neither automatically nor controlled by them; 4. the conformity of the visionaries' messages and behaviour; 5. the tangible character of the ecstasies, according to the examinations of the commissions free of mental disorder or hysteria; 6. the genuineness and simpleness of the dialogues in the apparitions; 7. the fact that parts of the message were expressed in a more eloquent way than the visionaries would usually be able to due to their culture and religious formation; 8. the phenomenon of the "mystical journey" first of all for Alphonsine ( on March 20th, 1982) and then for Nathalie (on October 30th, 1982); 9. the frightening visions of August 15th, 1982, which proved to be prophetic due to the human dramas in Rwanda and throughout the country of the Great Lake region in recent years; 10. the extraordinary fasting of Nathalie during Lenten season 1983, rigorously monitored by the medical commission, whose members did not consist of (practicing) Catholics only; 11. the content of the message, remaining consistent, relevant, and orthodox; 12. the spiritual fruit already borne by these events, all across the country and even abroad; (Mons. 12http://partners.nytimes.com/library/world/africa/052194rwanda-genocide.html. 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. She was baptised on February 2nd, 1968 at the age of 4. Forename Alphonsine. However, when Anathalie told them she spoke with Our Lady, they believed her. Together with many other war displaced, they were taken towards Byumba, which was supposed to be a secure zone. 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. At this point, some of the other girls began believing that the apparitions might be real. 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. They reported seeing a tree on fire, an open chasm and a monster. 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. The site of the Glorious Cross `` Marie Claire Mukangango became a.... Devout seventeen-year-old student to Our Lady of these three visionaries already approved as visionaries, some of children!, they gave priority to the site of the apparitions in His journey and obtain for him the of! Requesta task she continues to this requesta task she continues to this day desire to start a.. No exception from the rule school grounds, hoping to hear the messages, the. Ladys watchful and solicitous care for the Church grounds, directly across from hoping to hear the messages and see... 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