Immaculée Ilibagiza
is a living example of faith put into action.
Immaculée's life was transformed dramatically
during the 1994 Rwandan genocide where she and
seven other women spent 91 days huddled silently
together in the cramped bathroom of a local
pastor's house. Immaculée entered the bathroom a
vibrant, 115-pound university student with a
loving family - she emerged weighing just 65
pounds to find her entire family had been
brutally murdered (with the exception of one
brother who had been studying out of the
country).
Immaculée credits her
salvage mostly to prayer and to a set of rosary
beads given to her by her devout Catholic father
prior to going into hiding. Anger and resentment
about her situation were literally eating her
alive and destroying her faith, but rather than
succumbing to the rage that she felt, Immaculée
instead turned to prayer. She began to pray the
rosary as a way of drowning out the negativity
that was building up inside her. Immaculée found
solace and peace in prayer and began to pray
from the time she opened her eyes in the morning
to the time she closed her eyes at night.
Through prayer, she eventually found it
possible, and in fact imperative, to forgive her
tormentors and her family's murderers.
Immaculée's strength
in her faith empowered her to stare down a man
armed with a machete threatening to kill her
during her escape. She also later came face to
face with the killer of her mother and her
brother and said the unthinkable, "I forgive
you." Immaculée knew, while in hiding, that she
would have to overcome immeasurable odds without
her family and with her country destroyed.
Fortunately, Immaculée utilized her time in that
tiny bathroom to teach herself English with only
The Bible and a dictionary; once freed she was
able to secure a job with the United Nations.
In 1998, Immaculée
immigrated to the United States where she
continued her work with the UN. During this time
she shared her story with co-workers and
friends, who were so impacted they insisted she
write it down in book form. Three days after
finishing her manuscript she met best selling
author, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, who, within minutes
of meeting her, offered to publish her book.
Dyer is quoted as saying, "There is something
much more than charisma at work here - Immaculée
not only writes and speaks about unconditional
love and forgiveness, but she radiates it
wherever she goes."
Immaculée's first
book, Left to Tell; Discovering God Amidst the
Rwandan Holocaust (Hay House) was released in
March of 2006. Left to Tell quickly became a New
York Times Best Seller. To date it has been
translated into fifteen languages worldwide.
Immaculée's story has also been made into a
documentary titled "The Diary of Immaculée." She
has appeared in numerous media including 60
Minutes, CNN, EWTN, The Aljazeera Network, The
New York Times, USA Today, Newsday, and many
other domestic and international outlets. She
was recently featured in Michael Collopy's
"Architects of Peace" project, which has honored
legendary people like Mother Teresa, Jimmy
Carter, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama.
Immaculée has
received honorary doctoral degrees from The
University of Notre Dame, Saint John's
University, Seton Hall University and Siena
College. She has been recognized and honored
with numerous humanitarian awards including: The
Mahatma Gandhi International Award for
Reconciliation and Peace 2007; a finalist as one
of Belifnet.com's "Most Inspiring People of the
Year 2006," and a recipient of the American
Legacy's Women of Strength & Courage Award. Left
to Tell has received a Christopher Award
"affirming the highest values of human spirit,"
and been chosen as Outreach Magazine's selection
for "Best Outreach Testimony/Biography Resource
of 2007." Left to Tell has been adopted into the
curriculum of dozens of high schools and
universities, including Villanova University,
which selected it for the 2007-2008 "One Book
Program," making Left to Tell mandatory reading
for 6,000 students.
Immaculée recently
hosted a documentary titled "Ready to Forgive,
An African Story of Grace," a project sponsored
by The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
The film focuses on the Acholi people of
Northern Uganda and their desire to forgive
their tormentors. “Ready to Forgive” has been
broadcasted on NBC and the Hallmark Channel.
Immaculée recently signed a contract with MPower
Pictures to produce a major motion picture about
her story.
Today Immaculée is
regarded as one of world's leading speakers on
peace, faith, and forgiveness. She has shared
her universal message with world dignitaries,
school children, multinational corporations,
churches, and at many conferences. Immaculée
works hard to spread her message and to raise
money for her Left to Tell Charitable Fund which
directly benefits the children orphaned by the
genocide.
For
more information, please contact:
immaculeecommittee@olmstpatrick.org
Links
Download and
Print Event Flyer
Rwandan
Genocide - Immaculée's Story
Left
to Tell - Inspiring Autobiography of
Survivor
Book Review: Left to Tell
by Immaculée
Ilibagiza
Interview: Immaculée
Ilibagiza Comes to California
Support the Immaculée
Project - Msgr. McCormick's letter
Press Bulletin/Newsletter/Announcement
Boletin/Noticias/Anuncios
Catholic
Moments
Annie Karto To Welcome
Immaculee to St. Patrick's
St. Patrick's is very pleased to
announce that Catholic singer,
songwriter, recording artist and
national speaker, Annie Karto, will
welcome Immaculee and 1000 guests to
this highly anticipated, sold-out event
on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Annie
will perform prior to Immaculee's
scheduled 2PM presentation and she will
also be present to formally participate
in the evening Mass at 5PM. Visit
www.anniekarto.com for
more about Annie and her music mission.
A Personal Note From
Annie
My dear friends in Christ,
Praise be to Jesus Christ, now and
forever! As a Catholic
singer-songwriter, it is a dream come
true to share with all of you the
immense joy of welcoming Immaculee
Ilibagiza to the parish of St.
Patricks's this coming February. Like
many of you, reading her book, "Left to
Tell" moved me beyond words! From her
incredible story came a renewed sense of
the importance for us all in spreading
God's unfathomable Mercy! I was inspired
to write a song dedicated to her honor.
I will be sharing this special song,
along with some others I have written at
this most joyful occasion. I hope to
meet many of you there! In God's Love...
Annie
Karto
About Annie Karto
As a Catholic singer-songwriter and
inspirational speaker, Annie Karto hopes
to stir the flame in the Catholic Church
through the power of God’s great gift of
music. The healing mercy of God is the
heart of her music ministry, along with
singing of the beautiful sacraments of
the Church, and honoring the Blessed
Mother Mary.
Being firmly rooted in the Catholic
faith, and in complete obedience to the
Magisterium of the Church and the Holy
Father, Annie belongs to a lay
apostolate, the Eucharistic Apostles of
the Divine Mercy, an outreach of the
Marians of the Immaculate Conception,
Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Together
they strive to promote Eucharistic
Adoration and bring the Divine Mercy
message to a hurting world.
The title song of Annie's award winning
CD, "Overshadow Me" won liturgical song
of the year in 2002. Annie has traveled
extensively and appeared on EWTN's
Backstage program. Her song, "You are a
Priest Forever" has touched the hearts
of many priests throughout the country.
Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR writes, "From
the first time I heard Annie Karto's
song a few years ago, I felt it had a
special anointing from the Lord. "You
are a Priest Forever!" as the great Cure
of Ars, St. John Vianney, patron saint
of diocesan priests, reminds us so well,
"The priesthood is the joy of the Heart
of Jesus!" You will find this song a joy
as well!" Annie acknowledges that all
that is given is pure grace from God.
Annie Karto-Catholic Music Missionary
"I will sing of the mercies of the
Lord forever!" Psalm 89
