Officials at Nyaruguru District have expressed the need for more investors in the hospitality sector as Kibeho holy land continues to record increased numbers of pilgrims. The message was delivered on Friday, August 15 as more than 100,000 Christians from across the world gathered to mark the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a solemn feast celebrating the belief that Mary was taken into heaven, body and soul. ALSO READ: Catholic Church celebrates 40-years of Kibeho apparitions Although the Assumption is celebrated globally, Kibeho holds a special place in Rwanda due to the Marian apparitions recognised by the Church in the 1980s. Since then, it has become the nation’s most prominent site for honouring the Virgin Mary. A statement by the district says thousands of pilgrims at Kibeho Holy Land came from Rwanda, Uganda, the USA, Italy, Spain, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, the DRC, Kenya, Burundi, Zambia, Slovakia, Nigeria, among other countries. The Holy Mass was presided over by Bishop Celestin Hakizimana of the Gikongoro Catholic Diocese. “Kibeho is not only visited on 15 August and 28 November each year, but it also receives visitors—both Rwandans and foreigners—every week. We encourage private investors to continue investing in the construction of accommodation facilities of various categories, as well as in expanding the range of services needed by those who come to visit Kibeho,” reads the statement. ALSO READ: Why Assumption Day carries special meaning for Rwandan believers Bishop Hakizimana urged Christians to be guided by love that brings Jesus to those who do not yet know Him. He explained that the feast of the Assumption is rooted in the event of the ‘Visitation’, when the Virgin Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and told her that she was carrying the Child, and that the Child would be praised both on Earth and in Heaven. ALSO READ: Rwandans mark Assumption Day with call to repentance The Visitation is a biblical event described in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:39–56). It refers to the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. At the time, Mary was pregnant with Jesus, and Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb (John) leapt for joy, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth then praised Mary and the child she was carrying, recognising Mary as blessed among women. The Visitation is celebrated as a feast in many Christian traditions because it highlights Mary’s role and the recognition of Jesus even before his birth. It also emphasises themes of joy, faith, and the presence of God working in unexpected ways. ALSO READ: Assumption Day: When the Blessed Virgin Mary saw us out in Kibeho On August 15 in Kigali, His Eminence Antoine Cardinal Kambanda, the Archbishop of Kigali, also reminded Christians that the Feast of the Assumption holds great significance in the life of a Christian. The need for hospitality investors Kibeho, a renowned site of apparitions and pilgrimage, is expected to host a 10,000-seat basilica—a significant church within the Roman Catholic Church with privileges granted by the Pope upon completion. In 2024, the Catholic Church launched a mobilisation of Rwf3.5 billion for expropriation to expand the 'Kibeho Holy Land' sanctuary in Nyaruguru District. The proposed basilica, currently under design, will have a seating capacity of 10,000 and a compound that can accommodate up to 100,000 pilgrims. The entire facility, estimated to cost $70 million, will also include parking for 700 buses and 2,000 smaller vehicles, along with other essential service facilities. The apparitions of Mary, the mother of Jesus, were first reported in the 1980s. The initial apparition occurred on 28 November 1981, when Alphonsine Mumureke, a young student at Kibeho High School, saw a lady of incomparable beauty who identified herself as Nyina Wa Jambo, meaning Mother of the Word. Shortly thereafter, two other alleged seers emerged at the high school: Nathalie Mukamazimpaka on 12 January 1982, and Marie Claire Mukangango on 2 March 1982. Kibeho Holy Land is the first site in Africa and the 15th worldwide to be recognised for apparitions of the Virgin Mary. In 2001, Pope John Paul II declared the site holy. Currently known as 'Our Lady of Kibeho Sanctuary,' named after the apparitions by the Mother of Jesus Christ, the site is slated for expansion through 21 infrastructure projects. Pilgrims visiting Kibeho Holy Land can purchase souvenirs such as devotional medals, paintings of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, tiny crucifixes, Christian rings, rosaries, and books about the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The site features a hill representing Calvary, the place outside Jerusalem’s walls where Jesus was crucified, according to the Gospel. Visitors can read the seven last words of Jesus, displayed on the crucifix atop the hill. Nearby, the Chapel of the Holy hosts worshippers after their visit to Calvary. The shrine also contains a forested area with stations representing the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, reflecting her compassion for the suffering and death of her Divine Son, Jesus. During her apparitions in Kibeho, the Virgin Mary instructed visionary Marie-Claire Mukangango to promote the devotion of the Seven Sorrows Rosary. As visitors walk through the Rosary path, they eventually reach the blessed water source in the valley, where many pilgrims collect water believed to hold spiritual significance. Bungalows, including one with an altar surrounded by gardens, have been built near the water source to host religious ceremonies. GS Mere du Verbe Kibeho, an all-girls school, is where the three visionaries studied. The compound where the Virgin Mary appeared is located near a former dormitory, where one of the visionaries used to sleep.
