Brothers visit Kibeho, Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows
East Central Africa provincial superior Brother Théoneste Kalisa Ruhando led the Brothers in Rwanda on pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Kibeho on Sept. 2 as one of the activities to commemorate the bicentenary.
After beginning the pilgrimage from the Save Novitiate in Butare with a prayer and a blessing from Father Jean Claude, several Brothers led the rosary during the one-hour journey.
Fr Jean Claude celebrated Mass at the shrine and in his homily, he called on the Brothers to be aware of their talents and happily use them for the good of all, “doing well everywhere and to everyone.”
The Brothers then returned to the Save community to celebrate the gift of brotherhood and God’s blessings.
Br Théoneste invited each Brother to take home the general superior’s call of the New Beginning noting that “unless each one individually embraces the changes that are unavoidable, we cannot continue talking about a New Beginning as an institution in an impacting way.”
“Each Marist is called to embark on the journey, the community, the province and the whole Institute,” he added and urged the Brothers to insistently pray for the 22nd General Chapter.
The apparitions of “Mother of the Word, Our Lady of Sorrows” in Kibeho, which took place between 1981 and 1983, were approved by the Church in 2001.
Over 500,000 pilgrims visit the shrine in Kibeho every year. French theologian René Laurentin refers to it as “the Lourdes of Africa” and it is, in fact, a site of spiritual healing and conversion.