The Episcopal Conference of Rwanda has initiated the process toward the beatification and eventual canonization of Marie Claire Mukangango, one of the visionaries of the Marian apparitions at Kibeho.
These apparitions took place in the 1980s when the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to three schoolgirls at Kibeho College in southern Rwanda.
Marie Claire Mukangango, one of the three, later died during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, alongside her husband.
Before her death, Marie Claire became widely known for promoting the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, a devotion she said was entrusted to her by the Virgin Mary during the apparitions.
According to Rev. Fr. John Bosco, a chaplain at the Marian Shrine of Kibeho and a priest from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Rwandan bishops’ conference established investigative commissions two years ago to begin the beatification process.
One of the tasks before the commissions is to locate the remains of Marie Claire.
Fr. John Bosco made these remarks while addressing a group of young pilgrims from Uganda who took part in the annual September pilgrimage to Kibeho, organized by the National Youth Office of the Uganda Episcopal Conference.
Marie Claire was one of three visionaries who received distinct messages from the Virgin Mary.
Alphonsine Mumureke was the first to report the apparitions, with messages centered on faith, heartfelt prayer, and conversion. She is now a religious sister serving in Italy.
Another visionary, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, received a message emphasizing the redemptive value of suffering.
She was instructed by the Virgin Mary to remain in Kibeho and dedicate her life to prayer for the salvation of the world.
Nathalie also addressed the Ugandan pilgrims, encouraging them to spread the message of Kibeho, saying that those who have encountered it should share it with others.
By Florence Nangendo
9th Sept 2025
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