February 2014

Rev. Brian Grogan’s article, “Welcoming God in Death” (November 2013), was one of the most beautiful and inspiring pieces I’ve ever read. A real masterpiece—may God bless him for this treasure!—A. Schraff, CA

I read with interest and nostalgia the article “Pilgrimage: The Journey Home” by Rev. William Bueche, CSsR (October 2013). I agree that the pilgrim merely responds to God’s invitation and that a pilgrimage is an experience,  prayer, sacrifice, penance, reparation,  petition, thanksgiving, and  quest for healing.
In the sidebar, Rev. Bueche suggests places to consider when planning a pilgrimage. Our Lady of Kibeho, Africa, whose apparitions have been officially approved by the Church through the local bishop and the Vatican, was not included.

Our Blessed Mother began appearing in 1981 to Catholic high school girls in Kibeho, calling the people to prayer and repentance to avert an impending holocaust in Rwanda. Some girls even had visions of Jesus. A miraculous rain fell on the sunniest of days—a rain that healed the sick.

The local bishop, Augustin Misago, started an official investigation, assembling a team of doctors, scientists, psychiatrists, and theologians who subjected the girls to months of rigorous physical and psychological testing. They reported that it was impossible to deny that supernatural events were taking place in Kibeho.

In 2001, Bishop Misago officially approved the apparitions, and the Vatican soon gave its approval as well.

Your readers, I believe, would be most interested in this site and the apparitions. Perhaps you could publish an article with further details of these miraculous apparitions so people can consider a pilgrimage to the site.—E. Francuz, CA

Editor’s Note: For more information on Our Lady of Kibeho, visit Kibeho.org.