By Sister Maite Oiartzun Nshimirimana of Gitega community in Burundi
How can we thank the Lord for all the blessings received during the jubilee year of the 200th anniversary of the birth of our dear founder Lavigerie?
Let us keep alive the memory of all the graces received and keep in our hearts the memories of his wonders.
Thanks to Lavigerie’s YES and his generous response to the Lord’s call to evangelise Africa, he founded the Missionaries of Africa and the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to the African peoples. In Burundi, on 22 November 2025, we celebrated the closing with a thanksgiving Eucharist in our parish of Mucunguzi.
The group included the Archbishop of Gitega, Monsignor Bonaventure Habimana, president of the Episcopal Conference of Burundi, Bishop Monsignor George of the Diocese of Ngozi and Bishop Leonidas of the Diocese of Rutana, the Missionaries of Africa fathers and sisters, young people in formation and diocesan priests, religious sisters, and our three lay groups. We were also joined by many Christians who came to give thanks to the Lord.
During the Eucharist, we remembered the history of evangelisation in Burundi. The first missionaries were massacred in 1877, but the missionaries did not abandon Burundi, nor did they become discouraged.
Twenty years later, in 1897, they returned via Tanzania and planted the first cross on Misugi Hill in the Muyaga region. At that time, evangelisation gained great momentum. In Burundi’s history, we speak of the ‘rain of Pentecost’ which watered the seeds that were in the hearts of Burundians who already believed in one Creator God, known in Kirundi as ‘Imana’.
Today we are witnessing many fruits: 85% of the population is Christian, there are many vocations to the priesthood, religious life and lay ministry in various areas of life.
In the Eucharist, we thanked the Lord for all the graces received and, together with the Church of Burundi, which has become missionary, we renewed our commitment to bring the Gospel to the African peoples who do not yet know Christ. Afterwards, we shared a meal in the parish hall.
In his words of gratitude, the archbishop emphasized that if Lavigerie had not been born, we would not be here, and he thanked Lavigerie and his missionaries for the vital role they played in the evangelisation of Burundi and Africa.
Lavigerie’s legacy is still alive and continues to inspire us in our daily mission and in our missionary commitments.
