Immaculee Shares Story of Survival

March 11, 2010 - 10:39 PST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY

STEUBENVILLE, OH (March 11, 2010) - "No matter what happens to you in life, hold on to hope," said Immaculée Ilibagiza, survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. "If I can forgive, anyone can forgive."

Over 1,000 people heard her message of hope in the face of evil, prayer as the path to forgiveness, and devotion to Our Lady of Kibeho, the only Vatican-approved Marian apparition in Africa, at Franciscan University on March 9.

The event opened with praise and worship, followed by a brief video telling the story of the Rwanda genocide, in which Ilibagiza lost almost all of her family. A member of the Tutsi tribe, she survived only through the aid of a local Hutu Protestant minister, who hid her and seven other women in a small bathroom for 91 days.

One of her father's last acts was to send Ilibagiza to the pastor for shelter, trusting that even though they were of different tribes, "I know that man, and he will not be able to kill."

"Don't judge people, or put people in boxes. Don't stereotype people," said Ilibagiza. "God will send you angels, and they will be the most unlikely people."

While in hiding, Ilibagiza found peace and the ability to forgive the killers through constant prayer, especially through praying with her father's rosary beads.

"I counted, once, and I said 27 Rosaries in a day."

She described her struggle against despair and hatred of those who were perpetrating the evil going on all around her. Her inner turmoil came to a head when she attempted to pray the Our Father. "I couldn't say the words 'Our Father,' because I knew that meant everybody, even the killers. I was hurting, crying, trying to understand what that means.

"And I heard, 'They are all my children. And I am hurting for them. If you love me, you don't hate them. You pray for them. I went through [the Passion] for you and for them.'

"Whatever God wants--it is good for us," Ilibagiza said.

She attributed the women's survival in the bathroom to God's intervention, describing a near miss when bands of killers searched the house.

"The pastor said, 'I don't know what you are praying or how you are praying, but keep doing it!'" said Ilibagiza.

The women survived the civil war and had to cope with the loss of friends and family, as well as the betrayal of their Hutu neighbors during the genocide.

"That is the worst thing when you are rejected--you end up believing the bad things they say about you," Ilibagiza said. "If they kill us, maybe there is something wrong with us.

"No--you are the child of the King, of God."

The night closed with a short video on the Marian apparitions in Kibeho, Rwanda. As Ilibagiza said, "Our Lady of Kibeho warned us 12 years before the genocide, saying to the visionary, 'My children, it does not have to happen if you listen to me.' It's in your hands if only you will listen."

"Our Lady of Kibeho received a level of approval by the local church and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith," said Dr. Mark Miravalle, the internationally known mariologist and Franciscan University theology professor who introduced Ilibagiza. "She conveyed a message of prayer, penance, and conversion, which was offered to prepare the people of Rwanda for great challenges.

"The message of Our Lady of Kibeho was not just for the people of Rwanda but for all people who face great trials and suffering, whether it be personally, in the community, or globally," Miravalle said. "She specifically requested a return of the praying of the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, a meditation on Our Lady's role as co-redemptrix. As Pope Benedict says in his 2008 World Day of the Sick address, 'Mary uniquely shares in the suffering of Jesus, and she shares in our suffering.'"

The event was sponsored by Solidarity, a Franciscan University student club, which aims to raise awareness of injustices, such as homelessness, poverty, genocide, and war.

Ilibagiza's books may be purchased through the Franciscan University Bookstore at www.franciscan.edu/bookstore.

Contact

http://www.franciscan.edu/news/immaculee
OH, 43952 US
Tom Sofio - ,

Keywords

Immaculee Ilibagiza, Rwanda Genocide, Our Lady of Kibeho, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Category

Catholic Church

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