R006 -Appendix C – Approved Marian Apparition – Our Lady of Kibeho

The attack on the Westgate Mall in R006 -Appendix C – Nairobi, Kenya, is a stark reminder of Approved Marian man’s inhumanity towards his fellow man; senseless retribution against the Apparition – Our innocents for perceived injustices, political gain or religious domination. Lady of Kibeho, Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked rebel group, al-Shabab, targeted and killed ab Rwanda- non-Muslims in a popular shopping mall as retribution for the Kenyan military presence in Somalia, where Introduction Kenyan troops have driven Shabab fighters out of much of the territory “Mary’s role in the Church is they once controlled. inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it.” To encapsulate the historical 964-Catechism of the Catholic dynamics of African cultural and Church. The rosary is linked with politics, in order to fully appreciate Mary and her Son thru contemplating her impact on the rest of the world, the mysteries of her Son in the rosary. would take far more time and space The tradition of Mary is that she than this column allows. However, it understands our needs like our mother is essential to acknowledge that when before we do. Any person who prays people hear the word “Africa,” it is the rosary long enough experiences not always good images that come to the grace of discernment. mind. Certainly reinforced by the Discernment is enlightenment from international media, people more God. You do not have to be Catholic often associate Africa as a place of to pray the rosary. Many pray the famine, disease, tribal wars, genocide, rosary… because it works! AIDS and ruthless dictators. When in fact, Africa is a microcosm of the P018: seminars: retreat: Appendix C human condition throughout the world. Source: http://www.catholicstand.com/lady- To reinforce this assessment, one of kibeho-listening/ the most compelling Marian apparitions in history occurred in Our Lady of Kibeho: Is Anyone Still Kibeho, Rwanda, with little fanfare or Listening? media coverage beyond the country’s Diane McKelva • October 5, 2013 borders. The Virgin Mary’s message is not just a message for Rwandans, 1 and Africans, but for the entire world. physicians and Church authorities, the It is as relevant today as it was in Catholic Church approved and 1981. sanctioned only the first three visionaries; Alphonsine Mumureke, The Condition of Kibeho Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and Marie-Claire Mukangano, who To appreciate the magnitude of the attended the 120-student Kibeho High events that occurred in Kibeho, you School; an all-girl boarding school, need a little perspective. The small run by three Catholic nuns. mountain village of Kibeho is located in the southern province of Rwanda, a The messages from the Blessed country on the eastern side of the Mother, similar to Fatima, are urgent continent bordering Somalia. appeals for the repentance and Considered one of the poorest conversion of hearts, an assessment of countries in Africa, Rwanda has an the moral conduct of the world, the estimated 65% of people living in Blessed Mother’s deep sorrow for the poverty. Between 1980 and 1981, disobedience of all of God’s children, Catholics in villages throughout regardless of religion, and the Rwanda were humiliated. Almost all necessity of prayer and conversion the statues of the Virgin Mary on before the Final Judgment, which she display were dismembered, destroyed expresses repeatedly is coming soon. or stolen. People stopped praying the She also talks about how suffering Rosary, believing propaganda that saves, saying: “No one will reach “the devotion was outdated.” Clergy heaven without suffering.” became so frustrated until they basically gave up trying to shepherd Similar to the children of Fatima, their parishes. They no longer Alphonsine, Nathalie, Marie-Claire encouraged praying the Rosary, and were ridiculed and tormented, with thus, the Blessed Mother was almost Marie-Claire initially being the most forgotten. outspoken critic before her own visions began. Between 1981 and 1989, numerous visionaries had frequent encounters Alphonsine, Nathalie and Marie- with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who Claire revealed herself as “Nynia wa Jambo,” meaning “Mother of the On November 28, 1981, Alphonsine Word,” which is a synonym for was the first to see the Blessed “Umubyeyi w’Imana,” which means Mother. As news spread throughout “Mother of God.” However, after Kibeho, the school became concerned extensive tests and evaluations by of the negative impact Alphonsine’s 2 actions could have on the school and determined to expose both girls as the village. People began traveling to frauds. Kibeho in hopes of seeing a miracle. Yet, at the school, no one believed the Yet, the Blessed Mother had plans for girl was seeing anything. One of the the little “doubting Thomas,” and on school’s priests actually gave Marie- March 2nd, 1982, the Blessed Mother Claire encouragement to promote the chose Marie-Claire as the third physical abuse of Alphonsine during visionary. Now Marie-Claire was her apparitions in an effort to filled with shame and humility. discourage her. Maria-Claire organized a group of girls who pulled In one of the first visions, Marie- Alphonsine’s hair, pinched her skin, Claire was given a message for the screamed in her ears, even shone a same priest who encouraged her to bright flashlight in her eyes, during torment Alphonsine. She approached the apparition, but nothing caused the priest and said, “The Blessed Alphonsine to blink, flinch or winced Mother told me to tell you that you’ve in the slightest way. been unjustly tormenting her children and must do penance. She wants you After hearing that the girls’ efforts to knell down tonight, hold your arms failed to expose Alphonsine as a open to God, and pray your rosary fraud, the same priest approached three times.” Alphosine during an apparition and stuck a needle into her arm. Again, no The priest viewed Marie-Claire’s response. Ironically, in Kinyarwanda, statement as insolence, and called her the native language of Rwanda, a liar. He ordered her to remain in her Alphonsine’s last name, Mumureke, dormitory until morning when he means “leave her alone; she speaks would administer her punishment. the truth.” That night, before going to bed, the Eventually, The Pressure Became Too priest recalled the Blessed Mother’s Much for Alphonsine message. Although he didn’t believe these apparitions, he saw no harm in Alphonsine asked the Blessed Mother saying a few extra rosaries. Telling no if she could appear to more children one, he drew all the curtains so that no so that those at the school would one could see him, and he prayed just believe her. So, on January 12th, as the Blessed Mother had instructed. 1982, the Blessed Mother began to When he finished praying, he laid the appear to Nathalie, which only made rosary in the nightstand draw, placed Marie-Claire angrier and more some books and magazines on top of the rosary, and closed the drawer. 3 different times, all seven of the The next day when the priest met with Kibeho visionaries experienced this Marie-Claire to pronounce her horrifying vision. They saw a river of punishment, she greeted the priest blood that formed because people with another message, saying that the were killing each other Blessed Mother was pleased that he indiscriminately. “Corpses, some prayed the previous night as she without heads, were strewn asked. However, the Blessed Mother everywhere and were so numerous wanted the priest to know that he they could not be buried.” should never throw his rosary in a drawer and cover it with books and Rwanda is comprised of two magazines. She said the rosary should predominate tribes: Hutu and Tutsi. be with you at all times, and that it On April 6, 1994, after the plane of should be prayed every day. From that the Hutu President Hamyarimana moment forward, the priest was crashed, the violence against the Tutsi humbled and became a believer. began almost instantaneously. Fueled by Hutu extremists that blamed the The Blessed Mother Allowed the Tutsi minority for the country’s Visionaries to See the Future social, economic, and political problems, in less than 100 days, On August 19, 1982, the Blessed Hutus systematically massacred Mother gave the girls visions that are between 800,000 and 1 million Tutsis, now believed to have been in part a or anyone sympathetic to the Tutsis. prophecy of the Rwandan genocide. They savagely dismembered and With witnesses present, the mutilated their victims. To further visionaries screamed in horror as they degrade the Tutsi, Hutu extremists saw in a vision, trees in flames, a river would not allow the Tutsi dead to be of blood flowing with corpses which buried. Their bodies were left where had been decapitated and floating they were slaughtered, exposed to the limbs of people. Our Lady warned the elements, eaten by rats and dogs. children that this world is “on the edge of catastrophe.” The accurate Why is the “Mother of the Word” Still account of their vision was recorded Relevant Today? as follows: The message that Our Lady gave to “A river of blood, people were killing Marie-Claire on March 27, 1982 was each other, abandoned corpses with this: no one to bury them. A tree all in flames, bodies without their heads. “If I am now turning to the parish of There was crying and screaming. At Kibeho it does not mean I am 4 concerned only for Kibeho or for the eye for an eye will leave everyone diocese of Butare or for Rwanda, or blind.” for the whole of Africa. The world is bad. The world rushes toward its ruin.

Load more