DANIEL ISLAND—St. Clare of Assisi Church will host Immaculée Ilibagiza, “A story of Faith, Hope and Forgiveness”, on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. at Bishop England High School. Tickets may be purchased through St. Clare of Assisi website: www.clare.church.
Immaculée Ilibagiza is a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide that claimed the lives of more than 800,000 people in the span of few months. For 91 days, Immaculee and seven other women hid in a tiny 3×4 bathroom to avoid becoming victim to brutal and bloody death as others who were murdered by Hutu militia. When she emerged from the bathroom weighing just 65 pounds, she learned her beloved parents and two brothers had been murdered. Through intense prayer while in hiding, Immaculée was empowered by her faith to forgive the killers that murdered her family and friends.
An excerpt from her book, New York Times bestseller, “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust”, describes Immaculée’s immense power to forgive and her love for humanity. When Immaculeé met her mother and brother’s killer, she responded with forgiveness.
“He (the murderer), was sobbing. I could feel his shame. He looked up at me only for a moment, but our eyes met. I reached out, touched his hands lightly, and quietly said what I’d come to say. ‘I forgive you.’ My heart eased immediately, and I saw the tension release in his shoulders . . . Forgiveness is all I have to offer.”
Just like the Charleston heros from the Mother Emanuel massacre, Immaculee responded to hate with love and forgiveness, and our “holy city” is proud to continue to share this message of reconciliation.
Immaculée’s story was made into a documentary entitled “The Diary of Immaculee”. She has appeared on 60 Minutes, The CBS Early Show, CNN, EWTN, CBS Evening News, The Aljazeera Network, plus The New York Times, USA Today, Newsday and many more domestic and international publications. A major motion picture about her story is under production with an international release in theaters expected in 2018.
Contact: Tracey Lively, 913-660-8409 or livelytracey@gmail.com, or visit http://www.clare.church.
