Our Lady of Kibeho
Mother of the Word
Rwanda, Africa
1981
Alphonsine
Do you like to sing and dance?
Are you lucky?
If so, you and Alphonsine are alike.
Alphonsine came from a very poor family. Her
mother loved her and prayed that she would
receive a scholarship to attend the all-girls
boarding school.
Alphonsine worked in the lunchroom, which was
very noisy. One day, even though the
lunchroom was filled with other students, she
heard the most beautiful voice…..
“I am the Mother of the Word”
Nyina wa Jambo
Would you believe your friend if she came to you and
said Mary had appeared to her?
Alphonsine’s friends did not believe her. The priests
and nuns at her school did not believe her. Some of
the students teased her and called her names. One
of the meanest students was named Marie-Claire.
Even though girls were mean to her, Alphonsine still
told the Blessed Mother thank you.
What should Mary do so that everyone will
believe she is appearing to Alphonsine?
She appears to a girl named Anathalie….
Anathalie
Anathalie is a year older than Alphonsine. She
loves the Blessed Mother very much and she
is very prayerful and devout.
One evening Anathalie is not feeling well so she
decides to go back to her dorm room to lay
down and say her Rosary.
Anathalie felt funny, like something strange was
happening. She opened her eyes but she
couldn’t see her dorm room. She could only
see a lovely meadow and a soft light.
Mary speaks to Anathalie
“My child, I am sad because I have sent a
message and no one will listen to my words as
I desire. My child, you must pray, for people
in the world have turned away from God and
the love of my son, Jesus.”
Almost everyone believes….
Now that both Alphonsine and Anathalie have
received a message from the Blessed Mother,
many of the girls at the school believe that the
visionaries are telling the truth. Most of the
students stop teasing and tormenting the
visionaries…..but Marie-Claire doesn’t stop. She
even pinches and pushes Alphonsine and Anathalie
when Mary is appearing to them.
Alphonsine and Anathalie can’t tell Marie-Claire to
stop, but someone else can. Can you guess who?
Our Lady speaks to Marie-Claire
Are you surprised?
Marie-Claire and her classmates were singing a
song to Mary when Anathalie feels that Mary
is coming. Everyone follows her to the Chapel.
Marie-Claire is mad! She is so mad she passes
out! All of a sudden she is in a beautiful world
where she could hear Mary speaking to her.
Mary asked Marie-Claire and Anathalie to sing
a song together.
The other classmates were amazed!
Mary gave Marie-Claire a special mission. She
wanted her to tell everyone the importance of
the Rosary and teach them the Rosary of the
Seven Sorrows.
Mary is everyone’s Mother
Mary wanted all the students to pray the Rosary.
It does not matter if you are Catholic or
Methodist or Baptist. It does not matter if you
are Muslim. Mary wanted Marie-Claire to tell
all the students that the Rosary is for
everyone!
Why Rwanda??
Mary said she came to Rwanda because:
it is a humble place where people love God and
love Mary and,
Mary wanted the people of Rwanda to ask God to
forgive them if they were unkind to their
neighbors.
Mary wanted a church built in Kibeho. Anathalie
walks off the podium to show the size.
(MS to 21)
Church Approval
Many people from all over Rwanda are coming to
see the visionaries. The Church must monitor
the visions to be sure they are true. Special
doctors and theologians come to Kibeho to
investigate and verify the apparitions.
A year or so later, Bishop Gahamanyi authorized
Kibeho as a site for public devotion.
(MS to 21)
Vatican Approval
20 years later, the Vatican proclaimed that Mary
had truly appeared in Rwanda. It added
Kibeho to the small list of Church approved
apparition sites.
Bishop Misago made the announcement . Now
construction on the churchthat Mary wanted
could begin.
The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows
Daily Prayer
Our Lady of Kibeho,
pray for us so we
can help Jesus to
save the world
Rwandan History
Hutu people: farmers
Tutsi people: cattle herders
Before European colonization (1886)
The Tutsi were smaller in number, but controlled the
monarchy. Kingship dated from 1400’s.
Both could hold lower political positions.
Tribal ethnicity was based on occupation……
Hutu could become Tutsi by cattle ownership and
marriage into a Hutu family.
Tutsi could become Hutu by losing cattle, then
farming.
FLUID “CLASSES”
European Colonization
First Germany (late 1880’s) then Belgium (after
WW1) acted as the colonial power over
Rwanda.
European colonial rulers favored Tutsi over
Hutu.
Only Tutsi could be educated.
Hutu chiefs were replaced with Tutsi chiefs.
STATIC “CLASSES”
After World War II
Rwanda became a United Nations Trust Territory
with Belgium as the Administrative Authority.
Reform begun at this time to have democratic
political parties. The Tutsi have been the
leaders, but they are the minority. The Hutu
are the majority……..
Hutu Revolt 1959
Hutu leaders, encouraged by the Belgium
military, revolt and overthrow the Tutsi
Monarchy.
Over 160,000 Tutsi fled to bordering countries.
UN grants Rwanda independence in 1962.
During this time, anti Tutsi violence occurred.
Exiled Tutsi band together to form RPF:
Rwandan Patriotic Front. They invade
Rwanda. Tense cease fire two years later.
1994 – Critical Year
The plane carrying the Rwandan president
crashes. The Hutu majority blame the RPF.
Massacre of Tutsi people, as well as any Hutu
who oppose the massacre.
800,000 people killed in 100 days.
(Fort Worth has 750,000 people)
Words of Pope Paul VI
If you want peace,
work for justice.
Rwanda Today
Today, the government tries to provide health services,
utilities and a growing economy so that everyone has
an opportunity to live a good life.
Poverty still remains a great problem, but Rwanda
continues to make remarkable progress. (MS to 17)