04/16/2026
Jane Ntawebasa was a victim soul of genocide, a survivor of Rwanda in 1994. She came into our storefront street drop-in mission daily for lunch, fellowship and prayer. She was a very special friend on mine and all of us, a core member of our humble little Our Lady of His Mercy Friendship House community on the street in Hintonburg Ottawa for many years.
Let me tell you her story. Jane was in and out of The Ottawa Royal Hospital psychiatric ward, ever since we first met and befriended her. She suffered extreme PTSD trauma. She personally witnessed the horrendous slaughter of family members, friends and countrymen. In just 100 days in 1994, about one million Tutsi people were slaughtered in this genocide in Rwanda by ethnic Hutu extremists. They targeted members of the minority Tutsi community, as well as political opponents, irrespective of their ethnic origin. Only a few would survive the full force of that demonic killing spree, which was a living hell that murdered 10,000 a day and traumatized an entire nation. Jane was one ofitss victims, though survived and lived by her powerful, life-sustaining grace of Jesus her Divine Mercy.
In spite of the very heavy cross she bore with Our Lord, she fought her daily nightmares by praying constantly. She gave constant thanks and praise to God for everything in her life. The Lord's Jane was a living saint in our midst, someone The Church calls a secular white martyr. She offered her life and all she suffered for the salvation of souls and to bring an end to all wars.
In our drop-in centre on the street as in her residences, she used every opportunity to witness the life-saving power of Jesus, who actively saved every day. She loved to sing. She would often burst into spontaneous praise and thanksgiving in our midst as The Holy Spirit inspired her, which always amazed and astounded us. Jane evangelized me personally and all our staff volunteers and cooks. We were all so honoured to serve Jesus alive and living in Jane. Greater faith I have never encountered in all my 30yrs of street and ministry to the poorest. Please remember her and others like her who at this very moment are suffering through the genocides of today. My present personal caregiver, my PSW named Jason, is also a survivor of the evil atrocity of genocide in Rwanda.
Christ is risen and has conquered all evil and the horror of death itself and His saints continue to testify to Christ’s resurrection power to save from the worst of evils -Halleluia!
