Members of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, are again highlighting the faith-filled message that was shared by the Blessed Mother nearly 45 years ago in a small village in Rwanda.
Under the title of Our Lady of Kibeho, whose feast day arrives on Nov. 28, the Blessed Mother appeared to three young schoolgirls in a series of apparitions beginning in 1981, urging the faithful to pray the Rosary and forewarning of the 1994 genocide in the African nation. The feast of Our Lady of Kibeho marks the only Vatican-approved Marian apparition on the continent of Africa.
St. Joseph Parish will commemorate the Marian feast with a procession of flowers at 8:45 a.m. followed by Mass at 9 a.m. in St. Joseph Church. Father Scott Shaffer, pastor, will serve as principal celebrant and will be joined by homilist and speaker Father Dean Gaudio, parochial vicar in St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor. Following the liturgy, attendees will pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Immaculée Ilibagiza speaks to some 300 attendees during a November 2023 visit to St. Joseph Church, Toms River, who came to hear her story and pray with her to Our Lady of Kibeho. Courtesy photo
Diane Worthy, a St. Joseph parishioner and member of its Totus Tous ministry, explained that this year’s observation of the feast day builds upon the 2023 visit to the Diocese of Trenton by Immaculée Ilibagiza of Rwanda, author of “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.” During Ilibagiza’s visit, Father Shaffer blessed a painting depicting the image of Our Lady of Kibeho. A sculptor also created a replica of a statue of Our Lady, and both are present in the church.
“Ilibagiza spoke about the importance of praying the Rosary and believed it was prayer that helped protect her life during the Rwandan genocide,” said Worthy. “Immaculee has planted a seed of humility at St. Joseph, a seed that continues to grow and affirms the value of prayer.”
Worthy continued, “When prayed with sincerity, the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary [can bring] healing and grace to live in right relationship with one another. We can reference the apparitions of Mary in Kibeho, Rwanda, to illustrate Mary’s desire to bring all people to Christ. She stands beside each of us in our sorrows, [reminding us] that even in our trials, God is near and working for our good.”
The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows includes significant events in Mary’s life that caused her deep anguish, including the prophecy of Simeon; the flight into Egypt; the loss of the child Jesus in the temple; the meeting of Jesus on his way to Calvary; his Crucifixion and Death; the body of Jesus being taken down from the Cross, and the Burial of Jesus.
“As Christ’s Church, we cannot live in our own little bubbles,” Worthy said. “When the opportunity arises to share Mary’s message in its relevance with the world today, we should embrace it.”
Faithful throughout the Diocese are welcome to attend. St. Joseph Church is located at 685 Hooper Ave., Toms River.