Thousands of believers from different parts of the world converged in the small town of Kibeho in Nyaruguru District to celebrate Assumption Day yesterday.

The colourful mass was celebrated in different languages including Luganda, Kiswahili, English, French and Kinyarwanda to ensure as many pilgrims follow the proceedings.

Kibeho is considered by many, especially Catholics, a holy land because of the historic apparitions by Virgin Mary which occurred between 1981 and 1989, to three teenage girls.

The girls, only one of them surviving currently, were at the time of the apparitions, students in Groupe Scolaire Mere du Verbe, located just behind the church called Notre-Dame des Douleurs (our mother of sorrows).

The story goes that when Virgin Mary, who reportedly appeared to the girls repeatedly asked them to implore Rwandans and the world to repent.

In 2001, Bishop Augustin Misago then of Gikongoro Diocese approved a public devotion linked to the apparitions on 15 August 1988 and declared their authenticity on 29 June 2001.

Since then, Kibeho has become a place of pilgrimage for believers across the world. They come, pray and beseech the Virgin Mary to intercede for them to God.

Pius Odizo who came from Dodoma in Tanzania, said he wants to one time in his life time experience a miracle from this holy place.

"We are a group of eighteen people from Dodoma. I’m not that person who prays all days but I’m a believer and I want to experience a miracle. I believe and accept the Virgin Mary appeared to those girls and I believe I can experience the same grace from her,” said Odizo.

Yvonne Kobusinge 45 from Muhanga District said she arrived in Kibeho very early in the morning on Tuesday to be able to collect the Holy water, which she said is difficult to get when many pilgrims arrive.

The water is collected from a stream just below the hill on which the church is built.

"This water is going to be more useful to me. I drink it when I become ill, sprinkle it around the house to exorcise bad spirits, or wash with it. There are many benedictions from this water and we are very lucky that Virgin Mary chose Rwanda,” said Kobusinge.

Bishop Andrzej Józefowicz, the Apostolic Nuncio in Rwanda during the liturgy implored Catholic believers to hold dear the message offered by the Virgin Mary during the apparitions, saying that this was still valid.

"Virgin Mary Message will not expire; it is still valid especially in these days when hatred and violence are becoming more intense. We must repent and spread the word of God to change the world,” said Józefowicz.

He asked them to always remember the Pope’s message of helping poor and vulnerable people as it is one of the core values of Catholic Church.

Assumption Day is among the main days celebrated by catholic believers, as a commemoration of Virgin Mary ascension to heaven. They believe she didn’t die as any other person but was taken to heaven alive.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw