Rev. Honoratus Mwageni, Coordinator of Mission Appeals for the Diocese of Butare, Rwanda, will be visiting St. Paul Church during the weekend of June 27-28.

Rwanda is a small country situated in the heart of Africa, that in 1994, experienced a horrific genocide that was politically motivated during which one million people were murdered in approximately 100 days. The genocide left behind many broken hearted like orphans, widows, traumatized, and many destroyed infrastructures like schools, medical centers, even churches. Pastorally, in the years since the genocide, the Diocese of Butare has focused its outreach on the young who are the future of Rwanda, impressing upon them the themes of unconditional love, peace and reconciliation, so that the country may heal and experience a brighter tomorrow. Rwanda is a Christian country; 60% of the country’s population is Catholic. The diocese continues to work hard in building Catholic schools, which play a great role not only in teaching the youth academic courses but they also teach them Catholic faith, to love, to reconcile and to form their moral conscience based on Christian values. This effort has made a great difference and has contributed tremendously to the building of a new Rwanda we see today. The diocese has limited resources. This is why we seek some help from you, our brothers and sisters in Christ, so that we may be able to build more Catholic schools, carry on these projects and continue our mission of making the love of Christ known and felt among the people of Rwanda. Your generous donation will contribute greatly to this mission and will help in the process of healing of the wounded people of Rwanda and bring a new life. As you will see in next weekend’s Gospel, Jesus is healing the woman who suffered from hemorrhages for many years. So, too, are the people of Rwanda suffering and in need of healing. They need to be brought back to life as Jesus raised the daughter of the official from the dead. Thank you for lifting up the hearts of many with your prayers and your generous financial support.