IMMACULEE ILLIBAGIZA: Faith, Hope, Forgiveness

by Dr. Bernadette Boyd, On behalf of Holy Trinity Catholic Church

IMMACULÉE ILIBAGIZA, INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER AND RWANDA GENOCIDE SURVIVOR, WILL LEAD A LENTEN RETREAT AT THE CATHOLIC CENTER ON MARCH 8-9, 2024. Under the direction of Father Duane Trombetta, two churches of our Diocese, Holy Trinity Catholic Church and Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, are coordinating this Lenten Parish Mission. As a best-selling author, Immaculée has written many books, most notably, Left to Tell, Our Lady of Kibeho, and If Only We Had Listened

The Rwanda genocide took place in 1994 when the Hutus tribe massacred over one million members of the Tutsi tribe. Immaculée, a member of the Tutsi tribe, hid in a very small, cramped, bathroom for 91 days with seven other women. During this unthinkable time, Immaculee clung to her rosary and prayed the rosary many times a day. Most of her family all perished during the genocide. Immaculée sought God’s guidance on how to forgive those who could do such horrific acts.

Immaculée persevered, prayerfully seeking God’s plan for her life, and with God’s grace, she has been able to reach millions in her ministry. She relies on her faith and the need to help and encourage others. Immaculée does not let the Rwanda massacre define her, but rather she uses these experiences to spread the message of faith, hope and forgiveness. Immaculée shares her faith with everyone, and for many years has been speaking to church groups, schools, universities, and civic organizations, as well as offering retreats and pilgrimages to the world. I was humbled as I traveled with Immaculée to Rwanda, seeing that small bathroom where she hid for three months, visiting her old family home on the beautiful country side, and paying respects to the graves of her family. It is hard to imagine that such a beautiful land could be the backdrop to all those brutal slayings.

Immaculée has continued to help ease the pain of those bad experiences by giving back to others. Just recently, Immaculée organized the rebuilding after a river changed course and flooded a minor seminary where her brother, Damascene once attended. He perished in the genocide. She also has funded hundreds of children’s educational needs and provided homes for orphans who have no families, as well as life necessities. Immaculee also helps to support the priests when they are in dire need of supplies and resources.

Immaculée truly wants to be an instrument for God and finds time in her daily life to reach out to others in prayer. This is evident by her devotion to Mary, Our Mother. Since March 2020, when the pandemic prevented many of us from attending our Church services and activities, Immaculée started a daily Zoom Seven Sorrows Rosary Prayer Group. During this 2-hour time, the Seven Sorrows Rosary, Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Rosaries are said with different prayer warriors saying decades and offering intentions. Our international Zoom prayer group continues to have a profound impact on many lives.

The message of Our Lady of Kibeho has been important for Immaculée to share with others. In her book, If We Only Had Listened , she describes Kibeho, a small village in southern Rwanda, where, in 1981, Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ, first appeared as the Mother of the Word, to Alphonsine Mumureke, a young student at a Catholic boarding school. Our Lady of Kibeho is the only Vatican-approved Marian apparition in Africa. The simplicity of the message is that we are to implement Jesus in our daily lives, open our hearts, and be filled with love.

Please prayerfully consider attending the Lenten Mission Retreat with Immaculée. It is by God’s grace that Immaculée was definitely “left to tell” her story of faith, hope, and forgiveness.