For several months, she was hosted at the monastery of the Trappistines of the Abbey of Our Lady of Clarity located not far from Bukavu city. There are more reasons to believe in the apparitions than to deny them. 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. Bishop Misago affirmed that the message of Kibeho had produced flourishing prayer groups, where the Rosary and the Seven Sorrows were being prayed. Nathalie's father, Laurent Ngango is still alive and stays about 10 km from Kibeho. The world is evil and rushes towards its ruin. The exact date and circumstances of their death are not (yet) elicited. This choice, however, was a working hypothesis, not a presumption of authenticity for such a large number of visionaries. Even if the three visionaries mentioned above are the only ones officially approved by the Catholic Church, they were not the only ones who claimed to have been favoured by apparitions at Kibeho. When she regained consciousness, she found herself in a dark place that repulsed her. Since 1998 it goes by "Groupe Scolaire Mere du Verbe" (School of the Mother of the Word). When Belgium withdrew in 1962, Rwanda and Burundi became two independent countries. / 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. She witnessed acts of murder and genocide against innocent people. 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. 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. This choice, however, was a working hypothesis, not a presumption of authenticity for such a large number of visionaries. This email address is being protected from spambots. Both the Germans and Belgians turned the relationship of the two ethnic groups, Tutsi and Hutu, into a class system which favored the minority Tutsis over the Hutus. It is 36 km from the Bishop of Gikongoros residence and 30 km from the Bishop of Butares residence. Civilians who had taken refuge in the parish church there in April 1994 were killed. In 2004, Mumureke entered a Poor Clares monastery in Abidjan, where she continues to live as a nun today.[1]. The first time that the Virgin Mary appeared to Nathalie was on January 12th, 1982, the last time on December 3rd, 1983. 9The Blessed Virgin once told St. Bridget that very few contemplated her sorrows: I look around at all who are on earth, to see if by chance there are any who pity me, and meditate upon my Sorrows; and I find that there are very few. When she awoke she found herself on the floor in the chapel. 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 visions lasted for hours. The Bishop had personally witnessed an increase in Sunday and daily Mass attendance throughout the country, and more of the faithful were returning to the Sacrament of Confession. The Bible was translated into the national language of Kinyarwanda, and nine dioceses were created. \rDans la suite elle fut admise lInstitut Suprieur de catchse dAbidjan affili lUniversit Catholique dAfrique de lOuest. She was baptised on July 27th, 1977 at the age of 12 years. 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. Aerial views of the picturesque country present spectacular lush landscapes, rich green vegetation, remarkable terraced crops on the hillsides, amazing volcanic mountains, and a number of shimmering lakes that reflect breathtaking sunsets. Together with many other war displaced, they were taken towards Byumba, which was supposed to be a secure zone. In early July 1994, Nathalie was forced to leave Kibeho at the request of the Bishop, in order to get into greater safety. Alphonsine was born on March 21, 1965, in Cyizihira, in the parish of Zaza, Diocese of Kibungo. The longest series of visions were attributed to Alphonsine Mumureke, who had received the initial vision shortly after her admittance into Kibeho High School in October 1981 after her primary education, and the last on November 28, 1989.. Alphonsine Mumureke. The two commissions continued their task as usual and were reinforced with some new members. Then, on March 1, 1982, Marie-Claire fainted while walking in the gardens. In the 23-page document, the Bishops reasons were thoughtfully and systematically penned. Extremist Hutus blamed it on the Tutsis. Research was carried out in her family and her native region and there are specific reports and testimonies on this subject. But Mukamazimpaka, on what she says was an order from the Virgin Mary, has stayed in Kibeho, except for two years during the genocide when she was ordered to leave by the bishop. When the war ended, she returned to Kibeho where she still lives today. 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. In the end, they could not prove the visionary and her position wrong. Alphonsine's are no longer alive. Militias set up roadblocks to slaughter the Tutsis, many with machetes. Average annual rainfall is about 40 inches (100 cm); the country is also blessed with an abundant water supply from a number of rivers and lakes. Australian soldiers serving as part of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda estimated at least 4,000 people in the camp were killed by soldiers of the military wing of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, known as the Rwandan Patriotic Army. But it was the Virgin Mary's alleged appearance to a third student, Marie Claire Mukangango, that convinced a lot more people that something extraordinary was indeed happening. Mumureke, now a nun in Italy, told Immaculee: "Remember the first message of Our Lady. 2 . Some supposed that she was mentally ill; others, that she was just trying to attract attention; yet others said that she had been possessed by demons in her jungle home before her arrival at the school. 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. Alphonsine kept her job when the Diocese of Gikongoro was founded in 1992 up to the point in 1994 when she was forced to flee in order to survive the terrible genocide in Rwanda, first to the presbytery of the parish of Gikongoro and then to Bukavu in former Zaire, now D.R. Tuesday - Sunday through December 7, $25 212-244-7529 www.signaturetheatre.org Get the latest from La Croix International. She went so far as to inform the local bishop, who told her that he was already aware of the events. They come to the Shrine from all lands asking for forgiveness, for love, for healing and for strength to cope with the hardships of life. One Saturday, November 28, 1981 seventeen year old Alphonsine Mumureke was taking her turn as server in the school lunch room. Following her studies, Marie Claire Mukangango became a teacher. In 1960, the Hutus won municipal elections, causing thousands more Tutsis to flee. Her mother, Immaculate Mukarasana, died some a few years after the genocide of 1994. She was just a simple schoolgirl with no transportation. The message the Virgin Mary allegedly revealed to the students at Kibeho was focused on conversion and salvific suffering. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . 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. At that time, Father Joseph Bezel, parish priest in France and a dear friend of Father Raymond Halter, helped Alphonsine to obtain a scholarship for the Business School of Castaing in Abidjan ,where she signed up for a three-year-programme of Business Secretary Education (from 1995/96 to 1997/98). Out of the darkness emerged two ominous figures, warning her that they would return with others. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Divine Providence had special designs for the three seers: In June 2003, Alphonsine entered the monastery of the Poor Clares in Abidjan. Within one hour of the presidents death, a bloody massacre unfolded which was to prove the accuracy of the prophetic visions. 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. 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. Their conclusions showed that from the eight supposed visionaries taken as samples for investigation, only three showed the required criteria of credibility and confidence in what concerns the apparitions of Kibeho. She and her husband were among the thousands of victims of the Rwandan conflict. It was from there that she was urgently transferred to Nairobi for medical care. 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. The group concluded that she was truly with Our Lady on some mysterious expedition; they had no choice but to wait. In the evaluation of the facts and the messages, only the public apparitions are taken into consideration. The visionaries of Kibeho are no exception from the rule. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; 341 Butare / RwandaCentral AfricaThis email address is being protected from spambots. Her father, Thadde Gakwaya was assassinated in September 1984. The Tutsis ruled Rwanda in the early part of the century and were considered the upper class. She was baptized when she was 12 years old, on July 27 1977. He summarized the main points of the message: Our Lady appealed to the world to repent, repent, repent! and convert while there is still time. She warned the world that if it did not repent, it would fall into the abyss. She told the girl that she wanted to be loved by people everywhere so that she could bring lost souls to her Son Jesus. As she was filling water glasses, the same apprehension mixed with bliss arose. 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. At that time, Father Joseph Bezel, parish priest in France and a dear friend of Father Raymond Halter, helped Alphonsine to obtain a scholarship for the Business School of Castaing in Abidjan ,where she signed up for a three-year-programme of Business Secretary Education (from 1995/96 to 1997/98). 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. In this context, Mons. Her father, Thadde Gakwaya was assassinated in September 1984. The other two visionaries, Anathalie and Marie-Claire, experienced the same dreadful vision on this day: mass murder, the river of blood, piles of corpses. Her single mother was very poor and was not able to provide further education for her after grade school and had always planned that Alphonsine would help her in the fields thereafter. Others asked her for proof to support her story. The 16-year-old schoolgirl Alphonsine Mumureke said she was in the cafeteria of the Catholic boarding school Kibeho College, Rwanda, when she heard a voice soft as air and sweeter than music. 8www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/messages/kibeho_messages.html#marieclaire. In April 1982, two commissions were authorized to investigate the events. 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. This encouraged Nathalie to return home after two years of absence. In this Declaration, the Bishop of Gikongoro specifies without meandering: 1 . The first apparition of Alphonsine took place on November 28th, 1981, her last exactly eight years later, on November 28th, 1989. She wore no shoes, just like Alphonsine and her classmates. The director grabbed the school nurse and summoned Abbot Augustin Misago, a leading member of the Commission of Enquiry. 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. Only the three initial testimonies merit being considered authentic; they were given by Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and by Marie Claire Mukangango. Marie-Claires confrontations and outright hecklings intensified; she had the effrontery to test Alphonsine during the apparitionspulling her hair, twisting her fingers, pinching her, screaming in her ears, shining a flashlight in her eyesbut the seer never flinched. She asked Alphonsine, Of all things in heaven, what makes you happy?4 Alphonsine replied that she loved God and His Mother and that they made her happy. The Bishop of Gikongoro wrote a letter of recommendation to Cardinal Agr and, following the advice of Father Basile, Alphonsine left the Business School to join the Catechetical School, affiliated to the Catholic University of West African in Abidjan. 2Our Lady of Kibeho, Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin, 2009, 4th ed, Hay House, Inc., p. 35. Augustin Misago, a former member of the theological commission himself. This page was last edited on 16 April 2022, at 11:32. There, they were caught off guard by the genocide of 1994. 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