Auxiliary Bishop Georgenens honors 125 years of evangelization in Rwanda!

Auxiliary Bishop Georgenens honors 125 years of evangelization in Rwanda!

Auxiliary Bishop Otto Georgenens will visit the African partner diocese of Cyangugu in Rwanda from June 10th to 17th, 2025. The reason for this trip are an anniversary and an aid campaign that Georgen has been working on for some time. The invitation came from Bishop Edouard Sinayobye, who strengthens the religious and humanitarian connections between the Dioceses Speyer and Cyangugu. This partnership has existed since 1984 and has proven to be a strong band over the years.

A central element of the program is the celebration for the "125 years of evangelization in Rwanda." Various events are planned, including a visit to the MIBILIGI hospital. The focus of this facility is on the medical care of pregnant women who are responsible for over 3000 births annually. In particular, the obstetrics department urgently needs renovations, which requires financial investments. A German building expert has already created an inventory and master planning for the hospital.

The diocese of Cyangugu

The Diocese of Cyangugu was separated from the Diocese of Nyundo on November 14, 1981 and today comprises the two administrative district Rusizi and Nyamasheke. Her first bishop was Thaddeus Nihinyurwa, who worked in this function in 1996 until his appointment as Archbishop of Kigali. Current statistics estimate that the diocese has over 681,968 inhabitants, of which around 318,890 are Catholic Christians. Thus, the proportion of Catholic believers in this region is significant and contributes to the religious landscape of the country.

The Roman Catholic Church in Rwanda is not only a local religious institution, but part of the global Roman Catholic Church. It comprises the entire territory of Rwanda and has a long history with the founding of the Apostolic Vicariat Rwanda by Pope Pius XI. In 1922. The influence of the Catholic Church is considerable, because the proportion of Catholics in the population recently varied between 32.5 % and 62.3 %, depending on the region.

aid actions and future plans

Georgens will also take part in an anniversary celebration in Shangi, in which he will maintain an exchange with a delegation from the St. Martin parish in Kaiserslautern. In this context, the auxiliary bishop plans to have two editions of the Speyer church newspaper "the pilgrim" walled in. This should be a sign of connection and the ongoing support for the region.

The Catholic Church in Rwanda, which has been active since 1900, plays an important role in the social and health area of ​​the country. Мit of a population of around 45 percent, which is Catholic, makes it decisively contributed to the evangelization and church of the country. The coming days therefore promise to be of great importance for both the communities in Cyangugu and for the partnership with Speyer.