More Than 100,000 Pilgrims Gather in Kibeho for Assumption Day

Kibeho was filled with prayer, singing and thousands of pilgrims on August 15, 2025, as more than 100,000 Christians gathered at the Holy Land to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. The annual celebration, which commemorates the belief that the Virgin Mary was taken into heaven, attracted visitors from Rwanda and many other countries, turning the southern Rwandan town into a remarkable scene of international Catholic devotion.

For many pilgrims, Kibeho holds a special place in their faith because of the Marian apparitions reported there in the 1980s. People traveled from countries including Uganda, the United States, Italy, Spain, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Burundi, Zambia, Nigeria and others to take part in the celebration. The main Mass was presided over by Bishop Celestin Hakizimana of the Diocese of Gikongoro.

Beyond the religious celebration, the large gathering also highlighted Kibeho's growing importance as a pilgrimage and tourism destination. Nyaruguru District officials called for greater investment in accommodation and hospitality services, noting that visitors do not come only for the major celebrations of August 15 and November 28. Pilgrims and other visitors continue to arrive throughout the year, creating opportunities for better hotels, guesthouses and other services around the Holy Land.

The growing number of visitors comes as plans continue to develop for a major expansion of the Kibeho sanctuary. The proposed project includes a 10,000-seat basilica and a wider compound designed to accommodate as many as 100,000 pilgrims, together with parking and other facilities. The project reflects the increasing scale of pilgrimage at Kibeho and the need for infrastructure capable of welcoming large crowds.

Kibeho's story began in 1981, when Alphonsine Mumureke, then a student at Kibeho High School, reported seeing the Virgin Mary. Nathalie Mukamazimpaka and Marie Claire Mukangango later reported similar experiences. Today, the site is known as the Our Lady of Kibeho Sanctuary, where pilgrims come to pray, reflect and learn about the history of the reported apparitions. The Holy Land includes the Calvary hill, the Chapel of the Holy, the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows path and a blessed water source that many visitors include in their pilgrimage.

For Kibeho, the gathering of more than 100,000 people was more than a single religious celebration. It was another sign of how the destination continues to grow in importance for pilgrims from across Africa and beyond. As visitors continue to arrive throughout the year, Kibeho is entering a new chapter one where faith, pilgrimage, hospitality and local development increasingly meet.