Kibeho is a small town nestled in the southwest corner of Rwanda, known outside the region for two things: reported visions of the Virgin Mary that took place in the 1980s and two massacres during and after the Rwandan genocide in 1990s, when thousands were killed there.

In November 1981, 16-year-old Alphonsine Mumureke reported a vision she described as the Virgin Mary, warning of a bloody, apocalyptic, hate-filled conflict to come. She initially endured ridicule after reporting what she saw, but days later two other young women at Catholic Kibeho College, Anathalie Mukamazimpaka and Marie Claire Mukangango, claimed to have seen the same beautiful, floating apparition.

Thousands flocked to witness the reported miracle, even as the girls had described ominous, gruesome sights associated with them. In retrospect many have interpreted the visions as a warning. More than a decade later, Kibeho was the site of one of the early massacres of the Rwandan genocide, and another, retaliatory massacre almost exactly a year later. Tens of thousands, encompassing both the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, lost their lives in the small town, among them Mukangango, one of the young women who first saw the visions.

In 2001, after nearly two decades of consideration, local bishop Augustin Misago officially recognized the authenticity of the visions, thereby providing official Catholic endorsement of the devotional gatherings that have taken place in Kibeho for years. It is the only place in Africa with an appearance of the Virgin Mary recognized by the Vatican.

Photographer Gianmarco Miraviglia captured one of these gatherings for Atlas Obscura, when the town hosts tens of thousands of pilgrims.

People pray in front of Our Lady of Kibeho in the shrine. The statue reflects the characteristics offered by the recognized seers of the vision: incomparably beautiful, neither white nor black, clad in a white dress and a wide, sky-blue veil.
People pray in front of Our Lady of Kibeho in the shrine. The statue reflects the characteristics offered by the recognized seers of the vision: incomparably beautiful, neither white nor black, clad in a white dress and a wide, sky-blue veil.
During the prayers, some of the faithful fall to the ground and begin to tremble, and sometimes they say blasphemous things, at which point others remove them for an exorcism.
During the prayers, some of the faithful fall to the ground and begin to tremble, and sometimes they say blasphemous things, at which point others remove them for an exorcism.
One of the first three women to see the vision, Anathalie Mukamazimpaka (above) remains in Kibeho to assist pilgrims. The first visionary, Alphonsine Mumureke, entered Poor Clares monastery in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and was dubbed “Alphonsine of the Glorious Cross.” The other, Marie Claire Mukangango, was killed in the 1995 massacre.
One of the first three women to see the vision, Anathalie Mukamazimpaka (above) remains in Kibeho to assist pilgrims. The first visionary, Alphonsine Mumureke, entered Poor Clares monastery in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and was dubbed “Alphonsine of the Glorious Cross.” The other, Marie Claire Mukangango, was killed in the 1995 massacre.
Thousands died in two separate mass killings in Kibeho—first by the Hutu ethnic group against the Tutsis during the genocide in 1994, and then as a large internally displaced persons camp, mostly occupied by Hutus, was violently cleared in 1995 by the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front.
Thousands died in two separate mass killings in Kibeho—first by the Hutu ethnic group against the Tutsis during the genocide in 1994, and then as a large internally displaced persons camp, mostly occupied by Hutus, was violently cleared in 1995 by the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front.
During the celebration of the Assumption of Mary, devotees pray inside the church, then attend night mass outside. They carry the statue of Our Lady of Kibeho in a procession. The mass is celebrated in a range of languages, including Luganda, Kiswahili, English, French, and Kinyarwanda.
During the celebration of the Assumption of Mary, devotees pray inside the church, then attend night mass outside. They carry the statue of Our Lady of Kibeho in a procession. The mass is celebrated in a range of languages, including Luganda, Kiswahili, English, French, and Kinyarwanda.
Water from the fountain near the church is said to have miraculous properties. Pilgrims collect it in jerry cans, lift them to be blessed by the priest, and take them when they depart.
Water from the fountain near the church is said to have miraculous properties. Pilgrims collect it in jerry cans, lift them to be blessed by the priest, and take them when they depart.
Drums are a feature of the Assumption celebration, which, according to the beliefs of the Catholic Church, celebrates the bodily taking up of Mary, the mother of Jesus, into Heaven at the end of her earthly life.
Drums are a feature of the Assumption celebration, which, according to the beliefs of the Catholic Church, celebrates the bodily taking up of Mary, the mother of Jesus, into Heaven at the end of her earthly life.
A group of women prepare for the special mass. During the celebration around the church there is music, dancing, and hymns.
A group of women prepare for the special mass. During the celebration around the church there is music, dancing, and hymns.
During peak season, Kibeho receives between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors from across the world, including America, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, France, Italy, and India. At other times, it receives around 100 religious tourists a week, mostly from Rwanda and neighboring Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania.
During peak season, Kibeho receives between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors from across the world, including America, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, France, Italy, and India. At other times, it receives around 100 religious tourists a week, mostly from Rwanda and neighboring Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania.