In talks with Father Orlando Escobar (current Visitor of the Province of Colombia) about the possibilities of making a visit in the “Rwanda-Burundi” Region to get to know and come together with the Colombian confreres, we planned the visit to take advantage of two excellent circumstances very close to each other: the priestly ordination of Edouard and Marc, two new confreres from these mission lands, and the “Regional Encounter.” With the pretext of preparing the ordinations, all the members of the Region met on the four days prior to ordination. It was a beautiful opportunity to meet, dialogue, and share our faith and our Vincentian vocation in an atmosphere of prayer and fraternal living.
Currently, Father Néstor Gómez coordinates the region. With great kindness, he picked us up (Father Orlando and me) in Kigali to take us to NEMBA, birthplace of the missionary activity of the South American province in African lands. Twenty years ago, the Province of Colombia took up the region of Rwanda-Burundi on 7 December 1998 by way of Father Juan Ávila CM who, in turn, now completes 20 years of service to the brothers of Rwanda and Burundi. Nemba, like other parts of Rwanda, is a fertile and well-cultivated land (there are no open spaces), which produces different vegetables, fruits, legumes, and tubers. There are also livestock: some cattle, goats, and sheep. In addition, there are pigs in domestic proportions.
We must highlight the importance of something not very common: the Vincentian missionaries of Nemba live and work together with two diocesan priests. In a beautiful testimony of fraternal collaboration, they share not only the services, but even their spirituality at the service of the poor. It seems that this is a widespread practice, because there are also other confreres working together with the diocesan clergy, for example in the refugee camps. This is very much in harmony with our charism and it shows a different way of collaborating in the formation of the clergy and the laity in favor of the poor.
From this beautiful experience, we passed to the community of Kabgayi, but not before briefly greeting the Daughters of Charity in Kigali, who gave us – very generously – their van to continue our trip. The Central House of the Region is in Kabgayi and from there the various services that they have are coordinated:
| Name | Ministries |
| Father Nestor Gómez | Regional Superior, Director of the DCs of the Central African Province, Adviser to AIC Muhanga, and President of the Vincentian Family in Rwanda. Delegate of the Diocese for Consecrated Life. |
| Father Miguel Martínez | Regional Treasurer, Local Superior, in charge of formation in the Region and Director of the Internal Seminary. |
| Father David Sarmiento | Master of novices of the Brothers of ABIZERAMARIYA and of the Brothers of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem. |
| Father Ignacio Ninco Díaz | Local treasurer and Director of the propaedeutic. |
| Father Theoneste Zigirinshuti | Formator of the Brothers of ABIZERAMARIYA and of the Brothers of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem. |
| Brother Jean Claude Ngirente | Formator of the Brothers of ABIZERAMARIYA and of the Brothers of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem. Advisor of the SSVP Kinazi. |
| Father Juan Ávila | Pastor of Gitare. Advisor of the Seminary’s Pastoral Dimension. |
| Father Innocent Nshimiyimana | Assistant Pastor of Gitare and Advisor of the AMM Kigali. |
| Father Henry | Chaplain of the Burundian Refugee Camp of Mahama. Delegate of the CM for the Vincentian Family in Rwanda and Animator of SSVP in Rusumo. |
| Father Marc (recently ordained) | Local-Regional deputy treasurer and JMV Advisor Mata Gitongat. |
| Father Edouard (recently ordained) | Director of Vocation Ministry in the Rwanda-Burundi Region, Regional and local secretary. Supervisor of VSO projects. Advisor to the Friends of Saint Vincent de Paul. In charge of provincial communications. |
As we can see, the ministries are very different and demanding, and the pastoral and missionary work of the confreres in this needy region is difficult. The missionary zeal is exemplary in Father David Sarmiento, who, despite his advanced age, continues serving the development of Consecrated Life and the local Church in Rwanda. On the verge of completing 20 years of service, the Province of Colombia shows more than praiseworthy fruits: 13 confreres (11 priests and two brothers) of African origin, five missionaries from the Province of Colombia. The ordination of the two new priests at the hands of Monsignor Smaragde Mbonyintege was beautiful in its songs and in the admirable silence and devotion of the 1000 or perhaps more people who gathered in the Cathedral. For four consecutive hours, songs, intercessions, rites, and prayers kept us in the presence of God, asking to continue sending vocations to these lands already prepared to live the gospel. Everything is a sign of hope and motivation for many of our missions in the world. The 30 students in different stages of formation, united for the meeting, filled the gathering with joy. Above all, their harmonic singing at all the celebrations set the tone for the journey in the Congregation toward a dynamic and ongoing presence in the local Church.
I could make many and nice comments, if space would allow. I can only thank God for this profound experience full of surprises and living testimonies of the missionary spirit of the Congregation. My most sincere encouragement to the Province of Colombia to continue this unique missionary presence where, without a doubt, the poor need us most.
Father Aarón Gutiérrez Nava, CM
Assistant General
