The Seven Sorrows Rosary

Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Kibeho

It was on 3rd March 1982 that this Rosary was introduced at Kibeho, during the apparition when the Virgin Mary promised Marie-Claire Mukangango that she would teach her. The Virgin Mary taught this prayer to her children after repeatedly asking them (in the apparitions to Alphonsine and Nathalie) to accept the pain and to be converted without delay. The Rosary of the Sorrows was a reminder to help their hearts to feel the thirst to change and to be constantly converted. As Marie Claire explained it, the purpose of this Rosary is to help us to meditate on the passion of Jesus and the great Sorrows of his mother. When it is recited properly, it has the power to produce in the hearts the force to fear and run away from sin because it is sin which put Jesus Christ on the cross. Those who meditated on it properly found that they already had a force in themselves to act in a way which bore witness to their inner conversion. They found in themselves the thirst to meditate every day on the mysteries of the cross of Jesus, the liberator of all, and to join him in his suffering and that of his mother. To emphasise the importance of this Rosary, the Blessed Virgin Mary personally taught Marie Claire how to recite it. All the apparitions to Marie Claire included the recitation and meditation of the Rosary of Sorrows. Sometimes, the Blessed Virgin Mary asked her to explain what she was contemplating so that people may hear and learn through her prayer. On 31st May 1982, the Blessed Virgin Mary reminded her of the authentic message, in these words: "what I ask you, is to ask for forgiveness. If you recite this Rosary by meditating, you'll find in you the strength to return to God. These days, people no longer know how to ask for forgiveness. They continue to crucify the Son of God".

Marie Claire Mukangango also received the mission to teach the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows to the whole world. Was it possible for her to go around the World teaching this Rosary? Of course not! The Virgin Mary told her that God's grace can do everything and she herself will do what is possible so that this Rosary is known everywhere without herself having to leave her country as a missionary. And so, where she is, she must do what is possible to teach others this Rosary. In addition, Marie Claire revealed that this Rosary did not come to replace the usual Rosary, but rather to complete it since it focuses mainly on the Sorrowful mysteries of Jesus and his mother.

The public apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Marie Claire stopped on 15th September 1982, the day when the Church commemorates Our Lady of Sorrows. This coincidence is significant! It is clear that the essential mission she had reserved was already finished. She said to her in these words: "given that many people know already the Rosary of Sorrows, and in case they wanted, they may now know, we will not meet any more in the presence of a big crowd. Of course, I’ll come back from time to time to visit you and remind you of one thing or another, but this shall happen now in private". There is no doubt that this Rosary of Seven Sorrows is an essential element among those which characterize the apparitions of Kibeho. After the Virgin Mary said goodbye to her, Marie Claire continued to teach this Rosary to the different categories of persons. This mission of Marie Claire was beneficial to many people. Based on the testimony of some people who recite this Rosary, we notice that it has been very beneficial, especially in what concerns a change in their lives and conversion to God.