Problem: why prayer matters when suffering won’t stop
Sometimes we try everything we can think of and still feel trapped by the same grief, fear, or spiritual heaviness. The Kibeho witnesses say Our Lady came to wake us up and point us back to the most powerful, accessible help she gives: the Rosary. [2]
Problem: why prayer matters when suffering won’t stop
Sometimes we try everything we can think of and still feel trapped by the same grief, fear, or spiritual heaviness. The Kibeho witnesses say Our Lady came to wake us up and point us back to the most powerful, accessible help she gives: the Rosary. [2]
The Kibeho message in short (eyewitness words)
In Kibeho, Rwanda (1981–1989), several approved visionaries reported visits from the Blessed Virgin who identified herself as a mother and pleaded with people to repent and pray. [3]
She asked very plainly that we pray the full Rosary every day — not just a single decade or one set of mysteries — because the full Rosary brings the graces we need. [1]
She also taught the Seven Sorrows Rosary as a special, motherly devotion meant to heal hearts. According to the eyewitness transcript, Our Lady said: “It is a new blessing… I will heal hearts. I will heal the pain and the tears, especially of mothers for their children.” [1]
To encourage trust and action she offered a clear promise: “Do it and watch me and see what I do in your life.” [1]
(Church note: the apparitions at Kibeho were investigated and public devotion linked to them has been recognised at the diocesan level; they have a place in the life of the Church’s modern Marian story.) [2]
Why the Seven Sorrows Rosary is taken seriously by priests (and some exorcists)
Marian devotions that focus on Mary’s sorrows shape the soul to unite our suffering with Christ’s redemptive suffering — a spiritual posture pastors and ministers often find helpful in healing and deliverance ministry. [5]
Several priests and ministers teaching on deliverance describe the Rosary (and Marian prayers like the Seven Sorrows) as practical spiritual tools because they root a person in Christ through Mary and bring the graces needed for spiritual battle. [6]
For a clear, pastoral explanation, watch Fr. Chad Ripperger’s talk Our Lady of Sorrows and Healing on YouTube. [5]
For a short interview with an experienced exorcist reflecting on the Rosary’s power in ministry, watch Exorcist Priest shares the power of the Rosary. [6]
The full promises associated with the Seven Sorrows Rosary (practical summary)
Based on the Kibeho accounts, devotional tradition, and pastoral testimony, these are the main graces and effects people associate with the Seven Sorrows Rosary when prayed with sincere meditation:
- Healing of wounded hearts — consolation for deep grief and family wounds. [1]
- Help with conversion and repentance — clearer sight of one’s failings and the grace to change. [4]
- Strength vs. destructive habits and spiritual strongholds — many testimonies claim the devotion helps break obsessions and addictions when paired with sincere repentance. [5]
- Protection and perseverance — a deeper interior peace that helps the soul endure trials and resist the enemy. [2]
Note: The emphasis at Kibeho was always meditation on each sorrow — not speed. Mary asked that we enter each sorrow and ask, “what if it were me?” so the prayer becomes genuine conversion and healing rather than a ritual checklist. [1]
How to pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary (short guide)
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross and an intention (name one wound, person, or family need).
- Say the Hail Mary slowly to open your heart.
- For each of the seven sorrows meditate briefly on the event (example: Simeon’s prophecy, flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple, the meeting on the way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the burial, and Mary at the tomb). Pause and say a short prayer (Our Father + 7 Hail Marys or the specific structure you prefer). [1]
- After the seven sorrows, offer a closing prayer of thanksgiving and your final petition.
- Pray slowly; let the sorrow move you toward compassion and repentance. [1]
(If you want, I can add a full step-by-step box with the exact formulas and short meditations for each sorrow.)
A practical 4-week plan (try this and watch for change)
Week 1 — Pray the full Rosary daily (all five decades) and keep a short spiritual journal of one feeling or insight each day. [1]
Week 2 — Begin the Seven Sorrows Rosary three times this week, focusing on one sorrow each session. [1]
Week 3 — Pray the Seven Sorrows for the one wound/intention you named in Week 1; invite a friend to pray with you once. [1]
Week 4 — Keep praying and note any changes in peace, courage, or clarity; consider joining a weekly prayer group for accountability. [2]
Videos & further watching (embed on your blog)
- Fr. Chad Ripperger — Our Lady of Sorrows and Healing (YouTube). [5]
- Exorcist Priest shares the power of the Rosary (Monsignor Esseff interview — YouTube). [6]
- EWTN — KIBEHO: Listen, My Children (docudrama, OnDemand). [7]
Closing prayer
Mother Mary of Kibeho, you who wept and interceded for your children, teach us to pray with the perseverance you asked for. Heal our hearts, bring peace to our families, and pour out the graces you promised when we turn to your Seven Sorrows. Amen. [1]
