The Catholic Defender: The Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Kibeho) appeared in Africa in 1981 in Kibeho, Rwanda,
- Donald Hartley
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Virgin Mary appeared in Africa in 1981 in Kibeho, Rwanda, to three young girls (Alphonsine, Nathalie, Marie-Claire) at a school, calling herself "Nyina wa Jambo" (Mother of the Word) and delivering messages of prayer, repentance, and warning of future violence, with these apparitions becoming the first and only Vatican-approved Marian apparitions on the continent, officially recognized by the Holy See in 2001.
Mary appeared to three schoolgirls at Kibeho High School: Alphonsine Mumureke (first witness), Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and Marie Claire Mukangango.
Mary identified herself as "Nyina wa Jambo" (Mother of the Word). She called for repentance, fasting, and sincere prayer to avoid a "river of blood".
On August 19, 1982, the girls reported a horrific vision of violence and rivers of blood, which is now widely considered a prophecy of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
Kibeho College in southwestern Rwanda.
Began November 28, 1981, with Alphonsine Mumureke.
The Virgin Mary requested prayer, fasting, and recitation of the Rosary, and warned of a coming "river of blood" in Rwanda (foretelling the genocide) unless people repented.
The local bishop approved public devotion in 1988, and the Holy See confirmed the authenticity of the testimonies in 2001.
It's the only Marian apparition in Africa recognized by the Vatican.
The Kibeho apparitions are significant because they are the only ones in Africa officially recognized by the Catholic Church, offering a powerful call to spiritual renewal with prophetic warnings that tragically came to pass with the Rwandan Genocide.
On June 29, 2001, the Catholic Church officially declared the apparitions to the three specific visionaries as authentic and "worthy of belief".
Today, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Kibeho serves as a major pilgrimage site for reconciliation and peace.
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