Thousands of Catholic faithful yesterday rallied at different places in the country to celebrate the assumption of Mary,  the mother of Jesus Christ.The main celebration was at the ‘Holy Lands’ of Kibeho, Nyaruguru District, where several pilgrims flocked to the grounds of Mary Mother of Sorrow to celebrate the feast of Assumption.Esperence Mujawimana, one of the pilgrims said she had trekked for three days from Gakenke District in northern Rwanda, to reach Nyaruguru far in the south with an objective of imploring the mercy of God from the ‘Holy Lands.’ Assumption Day is annually celebrated by Roman Catholics to mark the ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven.The day signifies her passing into eternal life, according to information on Catholicism. "This place is sacred and I wished to be part of today’s prayers,” Mujawimana told The New Times."This is the second time I have come here. Since the first time, the Virgin Mary has done a lot for me,” the 51-year- old added without details.Over 30 000 other Catholics from Rwanda and other countries, including Uganda, DR Congo, and Burundi, are estimated to have attended the Assumption celebrations in Kibeho yesterday.Many of them walked long distances to Kibeho, spending many days before reaching the place.Esperance Hatangimana, another pilgrim, came from Bukinanyana Commune in Burundi. The 18-year old girl says she walked for two days."I wanted to meet God from this sacred place,” she said."Since I came here a few years ago, my life has changed. And from now, I cannot miss such an occasion to speak to God through the Virgin Mary”.Sister Mama Sifa, who came from Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) told this paper she prayed God to grant peace to her country and the whole of Great Lakes region."I prayed for DRC, Rwanda and Uganda to remain united because we are one country and one people,” the Sister who led a group of 55 other pilgrims from DR Congo said. "We need peace and security in the region for us to remain together. We asked the Virgin Mary to grant us that peace”.The nun says, together with other believers, they have been coming to Kibeho since the Virgin’s apparitions were reported in the 1980s."So many people come here with difficulties and when they leave, their problems are solved. But, few are those who know that secret,” she said as she appealed to Christians to visit the place.Many of the pilgrims at Kibeho yesterday were clad in clothes depicting icons of Mary and carried religious symbols dedicated to the mother of Jesus Christ. The sale of such icons and attires also flourished.It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to some teenagers in the remote area of Kibeho in 1981.In 1982, those who saw the visions reported gruesome sights, including rivers of blood and sliced heads, which are regarded as a foreshowing of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.The Roman Catholic Church officially recognised the apparitions in 2001.Meanwhile, at St Michel Cathedral Church in Kigali, Father Jean Claude Muvandimwe preached holiness, kindness and loving spirit."There is a lot we can learn from Mary, the mother of Jesus. We should take up her character as she was holy, faithful and helped others. If we refuse to be kind to others, then we are refusing to help God,” he said.Father Muvandimwe called upon the Catholics to be messengers and spread the good news of Mary and Jesus."Holy Mary is the mediator between human beings and Jesus Christ,”However, several Christians in Kigali, who spoke to The New Times yesterday, were ignorant of the day with many expressing surprise why yesterday was declared a public holiday.Vincent Muvunyi, an engineer with one of the telecom companies in the country, said it was the first time in his 27 years that he heard of the day. "I am happy that at least I had a day off from work stress, but I honestly didn’t know exactly why it’s a public holiday. It’s the first time I am hearing about it and I actually thought its one of those political things or a holiday for the population census exercise,” he said.

Additional reporting by Maria Kaitesi.