December 25, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 7 Ramsey Genocide survivor shares message of forgiveness Immaculée Ilibagiza speaking at Don Bosco. Rwandan genocide survivor Immaculée Ilibagiza shared her universal message of peace and the freedom of forgive- ness with hundreds of students, parents, and community members during two December presentations hosted by Don Bosco Prep. The author and humanitarian spoke for several hours about her miraculous survival and how the ordeal changed her life in countless positive ways. “Losing everyone and everything I ever cared about made me realize how much I had taken for granted,” said Ilibagiza, whose family and friends were among the hun- dreds of thousands of men, women, and children killed during the genocide. An engineering student at the National University in 1994, she returned home on holiday and her parents, fearing for her safety, made arrangements for her to be hidden in the home of a local minister. Ilibagiza spent 91 days in a small bathroom with seven other women, and narrowly escaped being discovered on numerous occasions by soldiers who were intent on murder. Her emergence when the killings ended was “like falling from the sky into a completely different world.” Throughout the evening, Ilibagiza spoke about how, through continuous prayer, she converted her fear and anger to understanding and forgiveness. “I turned to prayer to help manage the intense emotions that overwhelmed me,” she said. “I soon discovered that if you have faith in eternity, the pain of the now is allevi- ated.” In time, she forgave those who murdered her family. “I realized that hating the killers would change nothing. Forgiveness felt like freedom, and when I let go of thoughts of revenge I experienced a peace I’d never known.” Ilibagiza continues to bear witness to her experience through the books she has written, including the interna- tional best-seller “Left to Tell” and “The Rosary: The Prayer That Saved My Life,” and speaking engagements. She has been honored with numerous humanitarian awards, includ- ing the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Recon- ciliation and Peace and the American Legacy’s Women of Strength & Courage Award. “Immaculée’s message of faith, hope, and standing strong on the side of love is an important one at this time of year,” said Father James Heuser, director and president of Don Bosco Prep. “She is a living example of the power of prayer and the ability to overcome unimaginable tragedy, and she inspired our students and all who were fortunate to attend these memorable presentations.” Located in Ramsey, Don Bosco is a private, Catholic, college preparatory high school for young men.