The first Rwandan cardinal has a strong devotion to Mary

My name is Father Alexandre Kabera. In the year 2002, I was very blessed to be part of a group of priests from the archdiocese of Kigali that made a pilgrimage to the shrine of the martyrs of Namugongo in Uganda. Bishop Kambanda initiated us into this devotion. In 2006, when I was pastor of Charles Lwanga Church in Nyamirambo, Kigali, Bishop Kambanda, then rector of the major seminary, never ceased to support priests, religious and lay people who wanted to be inspired by the spirituality of the Ugandan Martyrs, which emphasizes love of the Eucharist, devotion to the Virgin Mary and the courage to be a witness to our faith in Jesus Christ.

Monsignor Kambanda was created Cardinal on November 28, 2020. Just a coincidence? That date is also that of the feast of Our Lady of Kibeho, the Mother of the Word, "Nyina wa Jambo." We can see in it another sign of the Lord's love for this wounded, but also extremely blessed, nation.

Kibeho is a small village in southern Rwanda. Between November 28, 1981 and November 28, 1989, the Virgin Mary appeared there to three Rwandan schoolgirls. She introduced herself as the Mother of the Word, "Nyina wa Jambo." In 2001 Rome officially recognized these apparitions. Kibeho is now an important place of pilgrimage known worldwide.

Rwanda remains the country of a resilient people, master of its destiny. The creation of a cardinal's see in Kigali is a sign that the Church of Rwanda has reached a certain ecclesial maturity and that despite its many challenges, it is trustworthy.

(1) The Archbishop of Kigali Antoine Kambanda (born in 1958) was named Cardinal by Pope Francis in October 2020; he is the first Rwandan Cardinal.

Adapted from an article by Father Alexandre Kabera in Africa La Croix

Father Kabera is a priest of the diocese of Kigali and biblical scholar.

See also: Immaculée