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News Stories

Rwandan Genocide Survivor and Author to Speak at Mirenda Center

 

 

Immaculée Ilibagiza

Immaculée Ilibagiza, a survivor of the horrific Rwandan genocide of 1994, will share her compelling tale of survival and forgiveness on Sunday, March 7, at 1 p.m.  The presentation is scheduled for the Mirenda Center for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development where Ilibagiza will sign copies of her books after the program.

 

During the Rwandan holocaust, Ilibagiza was forced to hide with seven other women in a tiny bathroom for 91 days.  She entered the bathroom a 115-pound university student with a close family; she emerged weighing just 65 pounds to find that her entire family (except one brother) had been brutally murdered.  She credits her survival to her unfailing reliance on prayer, particularly her devotion to the rosary, which she prayed as many as 28 times per day.

Following this period of intense physical, emotional, and spiritual trial, Ilibagiza dedicated herself to sharing her ordeal with the goal of fostering peace around the world and overcoming entrenched differences. 

 

Her first book, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (Hay House) was released in March of 2006 and quickly became a New York Times best seller. To date it has been translated into fifteen languages worldwide.

 

Ilibagiza has been interviewed by 60 Minutes, The CBS Early Morning Show, CNN, EWTN, The Aljazeera Network, The New York Times, USA Today, Newsday, and many other domestic and international media outlets.  She has written three additional books in recent years: Led by Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide; Our Lady of Kibeho;and If Only We Had Listened. 

 

Proceeds of items sold at the event will benefit theLeft To Tell Charitable Fund (LTTCF).  The Fund relocates Rwandan orphans and assists them with educational needs, providing scholarships to school-age children. Ilibagiza’s parents were both educators in Rwanda, and the LTTCF was inspired by and established to honor their memory.

 

Admission to the event, sponsored and organized by the Franciscan Spiritual Center, is $20 for adults and $10 for students. To purchase tickets, visit www.fscaston.org or call 610-558-6152.

 

 

2/15/10