Is the Virgin Mary, the Queen of Prophets, speaking or otherwise manifesting once again in the green hills of Rwanda?

She is according to reports are surging out of that Wester African nation this week, suggesting—alleging—  that a “new Kibeho” may be unfolding in the Musanze District.

Just as the world continues to digest the prophetic weight of the Vatican-approved apparitions of the 1980s—which so chillingly foretold the 1994 genocide—thousands of pilgrims are now flocking to a rural schoolyard in Gataraga, following accounts of a new visitation.

Reports KT Press:

“Musanze District was thrust into national attention this week following reports that the Virgin Mary had allegedly appeared to children in Gataraga Sector, prompting large crowds, intense public debate, and firm responses from both Church and state authorities urging calm and discernment.

“The reports began circulating on Friday, January 16, 2026, and gained momentum on the morning of January 17, when word spread that two children from Rwinzovu Integrated School, located in Murago Cell, had seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary near their school and in the vicinity of Busogo Catholic Parish, which falls under the Catholic Diocese of Ruhengeri.” [Full Story]

[Scroll for more]

The Child Visionaries of Musanze

The accounts began on January 16, 2026, when two primary school children reported a luminous presence near the school.

According to local witnesses, the children described a woman of “indescribable light” holding the Infant Jesus.

In a detail that has sparked both devotion and debate, the children claimed she first appeared atop an electricity pole before moving to the branches of a eucalyptus tree. Others claim to see silhouettes or formations resembling Mary in trees and other aspects of the terrain.

While skeptics point to “pious imagination,” and other might wonder if it was diabolic or simple superstition (in the wake of Christmas), the scene on the ground seemed to tell a different or at least mixed story.

Thousands have descended upon the site, many traveling through the night on foot, their voices lifted in the Rosary and traditional Rwandan hymns. They describe a “spiritual electricity” in the air.

Reports another publication, New Times, “The claims which began circulating on Friday suggested that apparitions of the Virgin Mary had occurred to two 10-year-old students (a boy and a girl) in an area located near the school.

“The incident drew an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 people on Saturday, with attendance growing to over 2,000 visitors from across the country the following day,” said Abbé Jean Bosco Nambaje, the Parish Priest of Busogo.

“Church officials have categorized the events as a ‘mistaken perception’ rather than a spiritual miracle, stating that the claims are currently unfounded.

“The situation was contradictory: while some claimed to see the Virgin Mary, others insisted they saw nothing at all,” another priest remarked.

Yet a third cleric, Father Vedaste Kayisabe, Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda, opined that while this nation has a respected history of authentic apparitions, the recent events thus far do not meet the criteria for Divine intervention.

“Some individuals claimed to see the image of the Virgin Mary embedded in a cut branch,” he noted, adding that natural patterns in wood often resemble human faces. “If you look at a knot in a branch with a specific expectation, your mind will often see what it wants to see,” he added, referring to the phenomenon of pareidolia.

One cannot speak of Rwanda without Kibeho—the first and only site in Africa to receive the full “seal of approval” from the Holy See, a site Spirit Daily visited fifteen years ago.

The spiritual gravity of Kibeho has only intensified during recent months: In November, the shrine celebrated its forty-fourth anniversary, drawing what local officials called the largest gathering since before the pandemic.

An estimated 60,000 to 80,000 pilgrims from across East Africa and elsewhere converged on the holy site, filling every hotel and family home in the region.

It is the sole fully Church-approved apparition in Africa south of Egypt.

At least two others, Ngome, KwazauluNatal in South Africa (1955) and Aokpe, Nigeria (1992) have been allowed as “faith expressions” but not fully authenticated.

Still others have been reported in Nsimalen, near Yaoundé, Cameroon (1986), Namugongo (2024), Ede-Oballa, Nigeria (1980), Mushasa, Burundi (1984), Mubuga, Rwanda (1984), Yagma & Louda, Burkina Faso (1985), Muleva, Mozambique (1987), Tseviè, Togo (1998), and elsewhere.

During the recent and historic solemnity at Kibeho, the air was thick with the message of “Nyina wa Jambo” (the Mother of the Word), reminding the faithful of the call to repentance and the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows.

Is this new report in Musanze a continuation of that 44-year-old call?

Some pilgrims claim to see silhouettes in the trees or “spinning sun” phenomena, reminiscent of Fatima and Medjugorje. Others, however, see only the wind in the leaves.

To understand why a new report in Rwanda carries such weight, one must recall the gravity of the messages given to the original seers, Alphonsine, Nathalie, and Marie-Claire. The Mother of the Word did not come with platitudes; she came with a “river of blood.” On August 15, 1982, the visionaries were shown horrifying images of people killing one another and abandoned bodies with no one to bury them—a vision that became a literal, tragic reality during the genocidal war between Hutus and Tutsis twelve years later.

The warnings from Kibeho were described by the Church as an “urgent appeal to repentance” for a world that “hastens to its ruin.” The Virgin spoke of a world in rebellion against God, warning that “if you do not repent and do not convert your hearts, you will fall into the abyss.” She specifically reintroduced the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, promising that those who meditate on her tears and the Passion of her Son would find the “strength to repent.” She emphasized that suffering is unavoidable but salvific, famously telling the visionaries, “No one reaches Heaven without suffering.”

Getting back to Musanze: in a move that some locals find heavy-handed, the Rwanda Energy Group reportedly dismantled the utility pole where the vision was first sighted to “disperse the crowds” and ensure public safety. Meanwhile, local clergy from the Busogo Parish are urging a “wait and see” approach. They remind the faithful that the Virgin Mary’s visits are never for entertainment, but for a profound message of conversion. The Church does not rush, as officials have noted, echoing the decades-long investigation that eventually validated Kibeho.

Are we seeing a “sign of the times” or a moment of mass suggestion fueled by the deep piety of the Rwandan people? In a world increasingly darkened by conflict and secularism, the reported appearance of a Mother holding her Child is always a call to pause. Whether or not this site eventually joins the ranks of the “officially recognized,” it serves as a powerful reminder: the Heavens are not silent. As we saw in 1981, the warnings of Rwanda often have global implications. We must watch, pray, and—as always—discern.