Message
from Father Bernardin
OUR
LADY OF KIBEHO…It was in 1982 when Mary appeared to some children
of the Catholic high school in Kibeho, Rwanda. Even though the country
was 85 % Catholic, we didn't expect that favor to have the Mother
of our Savior coming to visit us.
Rwanda is located just east of the center of Africa. Kibeho is a
small hill located southwest of Rwanda in the diocese of Gikongoro.
As usual, the Catholic Church in Rwanda tried to discourage the
children, but as time passed many people were going to the place
of the apparition from all corners of the country and even from
neighboring countries. The Catholic Church had no choice but to
follow the sheep and investigate the apparitions. Even Rome had
to send a specialist for the apparitions, and some of them have
proved to be right. For now, 3 children have been accepted by Rome
as true visionaries.
The main message of Kibeho, according to the children, is that Mary
asked all people to pray. Pray the rosary daily. Praying will help
us to avoid falling into temptations. She even taught one of the
children the chaplet of the seven sorrows that was not known in
the country at that time. It just so happened that when the children
were telling about this chaplet, an old nun in the crowd told them
she had one and held it up for them to see. This rosary underlines
the seven sorrows that Mary went through. There is no doubt she
suffered so much. We will talk about this in the future bulletins.
The main message she gave to the children, was a warning that there
was going to be a war in Rwanda, and that many people were going
to die. Honestly nobody would think about war in the country at
that time. We were so peaceful, and we were getting along with our
neighboring countries. Many of us didn't even know the difference
between a Hutu and a Tutsi. Blessed Virgin Mary went further by
showing the children some scary images.
- She showed them houses burning and people running with fear.
- She showed them a running river full of blood.
- She showed them people beheaded and bleeding.
- She showed them a great number of dead people killed and about
to be buried in common graves.
These children were crying saying that these images were too scary
for them. But Mary told them that they are to warn Rwandese. This
prophecy came to life first with the war described in the previous
bulletins, then with the genocide that was triggered by the shooting
of the president on April 6th 1994. So many houses were burned and
their owners went running to the hills for safety, people were killed
en mass either in the church or in the public houses where they
tried to find refuge, others were buried in common graves, and some
were thrown into the river. It was terrible!
Mary's message came to life almost 12 years after giving it to the
children and that is why it was accepted by the Holy See as a true
apparition. Mary is a Mother who loves, who cares and warns us in
many ways. If we would listen to her we, we would be saved. Let
us be people who pray at all times that we may avoid temptations.
God bless you -- Fr. Bernardin
