In a remote corner of Rwanda, Kibeho, heaven chose to reveal itself through the silent tears of a Mother concerned about the fate of the world.
On November 28, 1981, the Virgin Mary, presenting herself as the “Mother of the Word” (“Nyina wa Jambo”), began speaking with several young women, conveying an urgent and extraordinary message intended for all humanity.
Thanks to Alphonsine's testimony in a compelling interview with Father Gianni Sgreva, Our Lady's vibrant appeal still resonates today, woven from four golden threads: the transformative power of prayer, deep compassion for the world, fruitful acceptance of suffering, and an urgent invitation to conversion.
1. The power of prayer
From the very first day, the Lady's request was clear: “I want your companions to have faith, because they do not have enough”. Prayer thus stands as the foundation of everything, a sincere and persevering dialogue that leads to inner conversion. A prayer “without hypocrisy,” a cry from the heart, as Our Lady herself emphasized to Nathalie: “it is with the heart that everything must be done”. This prayer is not an isolated act, but a constant commitment to the Church and the world, especially in view of the “great tribulations” awaiting future times.
The visionary Alphonsine (now Sister Umutima), in her interview with Father Gianni Sgreva, reveals that even today she carries this special mandate to pray for the Church in her heart and in her monastic life.
The Mother of the Word also offered precious practical guidance for raising the soul to God: asking with openness and humility, with trust and patience, and seeking bodily positions that promote concentration. Above all, the prayer of the Rosary was insistently recommended, not as a vain repetition, but as a privileged way to place oneself at Mary's school and discover her Son, without forgetting the value of the Rosary of the Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
2. The importance of compassion
But the message of Kibeho, as the interview book “The apparitions of Kibeho in Alphonsine’s own words” clearly highlights, is also steeped in the tears of a Mother who sees her children on the brink of the precipice.
The visionaries Marie-Claire, Nathalie, and Alphonsine testified to Our Lady’s heart-wrenching pain, a pain that is deep compassion for a world that “is going astray”, guilty of “too many sins” and on the verge of “falling into an abyss.” These maternal tears are an urgent appeal to recognize humanity’s critical condition and not remain indifferent.
The tenderness and care of the Mother of the Word toward the visionaries reflect her love for every child and her desire to console and guide. Sister Umutima also learned to weep for those who criticize the message, feeling compassion because she sees them losing their way, following the example of a Mother who stoops down to reach lost souls.
3. The acceptance of suffering
And in this setting of heartfelt prayer and profound compassion, a third element emerges, seemingly arduous but intrinsically linked to the others: the acceptance of suffering.
Our Lady was clear: “No one reaches heaven without suffering”. Suffering is not presented as a punishment, but as an inevitable reality in Christian life, a necessary path toward heavenly glory and a means of atoning for the sins of the world, by uniting oneself with the Passion of Jesus. Accepting suffering with faith and love, as Sister Umutima learned to do, does not mean passive resignation, but active participation in the mystery of the cross, a mystery of love that human reason struggles to fully comprehend.
The Mother of the Word even suggested that suffering is an “indispensable component of prayer”, because distractions are more frequent in moments of joy. By accepting every kind of pain and living it in a spirit of expiation, one contributes to saving the world from ruin.
4. The necessity of conversion
But the heart of the message of Kibeho is the strong and repeated appeal to conversion. From the very first day, the Virgin Mary urged: “Repent, repent, repent!” This pressing invitation to conversion of hearts resounds like an alarm cry in the face of the danger the world is in of “falling into an abyss” because of “too many sins.” The Mother of the Word emphasized to Nathalie the urgency of this change: “Convert while there is still time”. This is not a mere outward change, but a profound transformation of the heart, a sincere return to God.
Our Lady warned those who remain indifferent to her appeals, cautioning that “a time will come when you will wish to pray, repent, and obey, without any further possibility of succeeding, unless you do so now by beginning to repent and doing everything I ask of you”. This appeal to conversion is an invitation to not to have hardened hearts, but to let themselves be touched by God's mercy, following the example of the good thief.
Prayer, compassion, acceptance of suffering, and conversion: these are the four golden threads which, woven together, form the heart of a message radiating from Kibeho to the whole world. They invite us to rediscover the essentials of Christian life, to stir hardened hearts, and to respond to the love of a Mother who refuses to resign herself to the loss of her children.
Kibeho is not merely a place of recognized apparitions, but a powerful reminder of everyone’s responsibility to build a future of peace through the quiet strength of prayer, closeness of heart, the conscious offering of one’s own suffering, and a sincere journey of conversion. A message that, years later, continues to challenge consciences with its urgent and ever-relevant truth.
May this appeal resonate in our hearts and urge us to live a more authentically Christian life, putting into practice the four golden threads that the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Word and Our Lady of Sorrows of Kibeho, showed us.
