Our Lady of Kibeho – Marian Apparitions in Rwanda & The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary

The Marian apparitions in Rwanda just marked the 35^th anniversary since Our Lady of Kibeho first visited with adolescents on November 28, 1981. The main messages of Our Lady in Rwanda were very similar to that of her other apparitions: a call to prayer, conversion of sinners, warnings about the evil in the world, a prediction of coming war and violence, and to love God as well as our neighbor.

The apparitions of The Blessed Mother in Rwanda were notable for two main reasons. First, that the predictions of violence came to fruition with the genocide and warfare that gripped the nation in the 1990s. Second, the apparitions reinvigorated interest in the medieval prayer ritual known as The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, because Our Lady asked one of the visionaries to specifically disseminate that message with a call to devotion to that ritual prayer.

The Blessed Mother appeared in Rwanda from 1981 until 1989 under the before mentioned title, Our Lady of Kibeho, She was revealed to the teens as “Mother of the Word” and “Mother of God”. Our Lady appeared to Alphonsine first on that late November day in 1981 and then in January of 1982 to another teen, Nathalie, and then eventually to Marie-Claire. There are several articles regarding the apparitions themselves which document the events chronologically.

I was drawn to this particular Marian apparition because of the conditions in Africa currently and the fact that such horrible atrocities played out in Rwanda in the 1990s as well. It is part of the human condition where we allow history to repeat itself seemingly without learning from our past mistakes.

The genocide of the Hutu against the Tutsi tribe in Rwanda in 1994 was horrific and the neglect for respect for human life was shocking to the rest of the world. The visionaries reported that Our Lady of Kibeho told them that Her concern was not just for Rwanda but for all of Africa, and essentially for a fallen world.

I have written about this topic before: the attack on religious liberty and the increased amount that God is being replaced by secularism and relativism. The moral code of society is being slowly stripped away, and the farther we are from God, the more lost we will be as a society and an international community.

We see this in our national and local news coverage: violence, despair, fear, terrorism, and division among people. The message of Our Lady of Kibeho is essentially that the world is a sad place and that we must repent and pray; especially those who are faithful and believe in the messages and apparitions. The faithful are called by Our Lady to pray for all those who are lost.

This messaging is similar to the other Marian apparitions as well. The plight of Africa has been incredibly sad in recent decades. It has been called by some “the ground floor of global terrorism”, and the many terror groups operating on that continent from Boko Haram, al-Shabab, as well as other splinter groups, is increasingly concerning for the safety and security of our world.

The answer is prayer, especially prayer of the Holy Rosary daily, and also of The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, as this apparition instructed us to do. Our Lady of Kibeho has asked that the devotional chaplet commemorating the Seven Sorrows be prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays in conjunction with the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary is not entirely well known, but as I mentioned earlier, it is a medieval prayer devotion that is meant as a repentant prayer. Therefore, many interpretations of the devotion recommend that you begin the chaplet with an Act of Contrition, then recite the Our Father.

Next, reflect on the First Sorrow of Mary and then recite seven Hail Mary prayers. The format is followed for the remaining Sorrows: one Our Father, reflection on the Sorrow, and then seven Hail Mary prayers. It is thought of by some as a condensed version of the Holy Rosary, and it is used quite often in Latin American churches where they reflect on the sorrow and grief that Our Lady experienced.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary are as follows:

The First Sorrow – The Prophecy of Simeon

The Second Sorrow – The flight into Egypt

The Third Sorrow – The Child Jesus Lost in the Temple

The Fourth Sorrow – Mary meets Jesus carrying the Cross

The Fifth Sorrow – Mary at the foot of the Cross

The Sixth Sorrow – Mary receives the body of Jesus

The Seventh Sorrow – Mary witnesses the burial of Jesus

Our Lady of Kibeho also asked us, through the visionaries, to obey the Church, to love our neighbor unconditionally, and to love God in truth. Our Lady also spoke of the need for suffering, that nobody enters Heaven without suffering. Our Lady also mentioned that acts of charity for the poor make us beautiful in the eyes of God.

These messages and calls to action from Our Mother, challenge the societal views on suffering and run directly opposite to the “every man for themselves” message conveyed by the world. How often in our societal discourse has someone said: “charity begins at home” and that “if it feels good then do it”.

All of these notions go against our Catholic teachings and the messages of The Gospels. We are called as Christians to love and serve others especially the poor, the elderly, the disabled, and the dying. We are called to be charitable to those who have less than we do. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is all part of the greater message in Rwanda and the other Marian apparitions.

In my own prayer life, I have shared my devotion to The Holy Rosary, but I also pray The Angelus and some other Marian prayers twice a day, usually at Noon and at 6 pm, and I reflect upon the life and events involving Mary in our Catholic faith. I offer prayers for peace in families and for peace in the world. I ask for Our Blessed Mother to intercede for those who are sick, suffering, or in need of prayer. I ask Her to bring me closer to Her Son.

In the most recent appearance by Our Blessed Mother in Medjugorje, the visionary noted that Our Lady was very sad. That made me feel very sad and upset. I ask that you join me in praying to Our Lady for peace, to be more charitable, and to reflect and pray on The Seven Sorrows of Mary.

I pray that Our Blessed Mother, Queen of Peace and Queen of the Universe be the Gate of Heaven to us all. I pray that Our Lady of Kibeho brings peace to Rwanda, the continent of Africa, and renews the Culture of Life in our society. I pray that we all learn from the mistakes of our past and join together in unity and harmony as neighbors and children of God.

In this Advent season, as we prepare for the coming of Our Savior on Christmas Day, this could be a good time to start a new prayer routine. May the Virgin Mother Mary bless you and your families and bring us all closer to Her Son, Our Lord and Savior during this Advent season. May the light and peace of Jesus Christ remain with you all forever.

Editor's Note: Events in Medjugorje are currently under Church investigation.