Retreat Days for 54 Priests in Rwanda

The Diocese of Gikongoro lies in southern Rwanda. It includes 20 parishes with about a quarter of a million Catholic faithful. Although the name of the diocese is not exactly familiar to most people abroad, nonetheless, many Catholics around the world have heard of the Marian shrine of Kibeho, which is located within the diocese. Our Lady is honored here under the title of “Nyina wa Jambo,” or “Mother of the Word.” The shrine was formally recognized by the Catholic Church in 2003 and ranks alongside such shrines as Lourdes and Fatima as the pre-eminent pilgrim shrine of this kind on the African continent, with a growing number of pilgrims, including many from other continents. In 1981, Our Lady appeared here for the first time to three young girls. A year later, they were granted a terrifying vision which, just a decade later, was to become a brutal reality. The children saw a river of blood, people killing one another, countless unburied corpses, and severed heads. The genocide of 1994, which in just 100 days claimed the lives of almost one million people, followed a year later by the bestial slaughter of 5,000 people in a refugee camp not far from Kibeho, was a brutal reminder of what happens when people forget God and give themselves over to hatred. The apparitions in Kibeho were a warning from the Mother of God and the shrine in Kibeho is now a permanent memorial, where the victims are remembered and the people of Rwanda are urged, with God‘s help, to pray and strive to see that no such thing should ever happen again.

During the tragic events of the 1994 genocide, many schools, presbyteries, parishes, convents, and health centers were ransacked, looted, and nearly destroyed. At least 10 priests were murdered and others were forced to flee, with just three priests left working in the diocese. In the aftermath, everything had to be repaired or rebuilt, including the people‘s souls. Initially, it was difficult to encourage young people to embrace the religious life, since these young people were so deeply spiritually traumatized. However, in time, Church life was gradually rebuilt, and there were new vocations. Today, there are 54 diocesan priests working in the ministry once again.

For Bishop Célestin Hakizimana, the preaching of the Good News and the strengthening of the people‘s faith are the highest priorities. At the same time, however, his priests are the ones the people first turn to in all their needs. And so it is vital for these priests to be spiritually strengthened for their demanding ministry, so that they can proclaim and witness the Gospel, joyfully and with total conviction.

And so the bishop would like the priests of his diocese to be able to benefit from regular six-day retreats. He explains: “This time of spiritual recollection is an opportunity for the individual to withdraw from his everyday activities and distance himself physically from his usual environment, and so take time out to rest, meditate, pray, and contemplate. In our diocese, we attach great importance to this time of retreat and reflection. After their intensive pastoral activities, our priests need this time of quiet contemplation in order to recover spiritually and physically and gather new strength.”

And so he is turning to us for help, since the diocese does not have the resources to pay for such retreats. It will cost around 127 dollars for each priest to participate in this six-day retreat. Would you be willing to give so that more of these 54 priests of the Diocese of Gikongoro have the chance to benefit from this time of inward refreshment — and so return with new strength to his ministry in the parishes?

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