By Tim Binnall
Thousands of people have descended upon a Rwandan community after a pair of children claimed to have seen a Marian apparition. The alleged divine encounter reportedly occurred last week as the two ten-year-olds were walking home from school in the village of Gataraga. According to the children, their stroll took a wondrous turn when an image of the Virgin Mary cradling the baby Jesus inexplicably appeared before them on a utility pole and then subsequently in a tree. The kids later returned home and detailed their astonishing experience, leading to word of the miraculous vision quickly spreading throughout the community and the surrounding area.
As often happens with such cases, the location of the encounter was soon inundated with pilgrims hoping to have a vision of their own or to pray at the place where the Virgin Mary may have visited. Likely trying to quell the excitement overwhelming the community, local official Nsengimana Claudien, who visited the location, declared, "we found more than a thousand people gathered, but there was nothing unusual observed. This story is not true. It is a rumor." Be that as it may, the fervor proved so profound that authorities actually removed the utility pole at the center of the children's story, citing public safety concerns.
For their part, Church leaders in the area also tried to instill a sense of calm in the community as pilgrims continued to flock to the area. "Matters like these require great discernment," Father Jean Bosco Nambaje mused, "the Virgin Mary does not simply appear to thousands of people at once, nor without delivering a clear message, as has been the case in recognized apparitions." To that end, he indicated that the case would be thoroughly examined by Catholic officials to determine if something truly miraculous occurred as the two youngsters were walking home from school last week.