How Rwandan Catholic Diocese Recovered from Severe Scarcity of Priests following Genocide

Asked about what he thinks is behind the growth in the number of vocations to the Priesthood in his Diocese, Bishop Musengamana responded, “For us the Minor Seminaries are very important. That is where many vocations develop.”

He said that each year, the Rwandan Diocese has about ten young men who transition from Minor Seminaries into the Majo Seminary.

Additionally, the influence the family has on children is “decisive”, he said, and explained, “You notice, for example, that a very large number of Priests and Religious come from families in which at least one parent was active as a Catechist. The Catechists are very committed and deeply rooted in faith. They are the first heralds of the Gospel in the country. And they also pass on this faith to their children.”

He went on to underscore the importance of pastoral work with families in helping young ones discern their vocations to Priestly and Religious Life.

In Byumba Diocese, he said, pastoral work is hindered by the lack of resources. “Families have many challenges, and the Church must help them,” Bishop Musengamana said.

He continued, “The world has become a village. The influence from outside is very strong through the internet, social media and television. We are not immune to ideologies. There is much more individualism, materialism – couples argue about money.”

“We have many divorces, even in the villages in the countryside. The development has happened very quickly. In the last ten years things have changed a lot,” he said.

The 57-year-old Catholic Bishop further underlined the need for young people to have role models who they can follow. 

Asked whether it is easy to find such couples in Rwanda, Bishop Musengamana said, “Not yet, but there are a couple who are in the beatification process: Cyprien and Daphrose Rugamba. They were murdered during the genocide with several of their children.”

He said that the journey of the duo, who are being considered for canonization, was not easy, but that “their witness is all the more beautiful.”

“The couple had a great love for the Eucharist. Although many young people still do go to Mass, there are less and less of them,” the Catholic Bishop said about the two potential Saints, who are natives of the landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge.

ACN partnership in the formation of Priests and women and men Religious has been beneficial to the Diocese of Byumba, Bishop Musengamana acknowledged with appreciation. 

He added, “I want to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you for the work which ACN is doing thanks to the benefactors, who are so close to us.”

The charity foundation, the Rwandan Catholic Bishop says, supported the formation of 59 Seminarians in his Episcopal See and also funded the renovation of the sanitary facilities of a Catholic secondary school, which prepares students for the Priesthood. 

The ACN April 7 report indicates that this year, the Pontifical charity foundation has already supported Byumba Diocese with the formation of 65 Seminarians.

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