Rwanda Team Visits Our Lady of Kibeho

The Mercy Shrine in Kibeho, Rwanda

Renewal Ministries recently sent a mission team to Rwanda, led by Country Coordinators Lloyd and Nancy Greenhaw. The team’s time with Fr. Ubald Rugirangoga was featured in our April newsletter, which you can view here. Below, you can read about another beautiful aspect of the trip—celebrating the thirty-fifth anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady of Kibeho with Immaculee Ilibagiza.

By Lloyd Greenhaw

Our team was blessed to conclude our time in Rwanda by being in Kibeho for the celebration of the thirty-fifth anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady of Kibeho, the name given to Marian apparitions that many believe foretold the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Our team met with Fr. Ubald there, and he greeted us with great joy and thanksgiving.

It was no coincidence that anniversary happened while we were there. She is the Mother of the Word, and we should ask her to plant the Word deep within us; to transform us; and to ask that it flow from us like a river of living water, watering the parched land, and bringing forth new life in Christ Jesus our Lord!

In addition to Fr. Ubald, we joined Dr. Francois, the national chairman of the Charismatic Renewal, and Immaculee Ilibagiza, who had brought a large group from the USA. Immaculee and Katsey were old friends, and it was through her that we got rooms in Kibeho, since up to 20,000 people were there. Father said Mass for Immaculee’s group and us the night before the anniversary, and afterwards we went to the shrine and watched the various nations dance and sing in honor of our Lady. It was beautiful.

The next day, we got to the apparition site early for the special Mass for Our Lady of Kibeho. Immaculee had reserved seats down front, and we were invited to join them. While I watched over the seats, Nancy took the many petitions people had sent us and put them in the intention basket and prayed for each of them. They were prayed over multiple times in following days. There was a special air of anticipation over the whole venue, and even though there were thousands of people, the crowd was polite and calm. It was a huge joy to be there! We all felt there was a special commissioning that day and that the Lord was sending us out as Ambassadors of the Word, with the blessing and the protection of Our Queen.

That evening, we returned to Kigali, which had been our “home” throughout most of the mission, and prepared for the journey home. Looking at the team, our sessions’ participants, and our trip to Kibeho, I believe this trip that will bear much fruit. There were many testimonies of freedom and healing from our sessions. A new day has dawned and we are excited to be part of it. Thanks for letting us serve!