In collaboration with Caritas Kabgayi, Caritas Rwanda conducted an awareness session on April 29, 2026, to promote the Caritas Spirit at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary of Kabgayi.
The session included a presentation on the social doctrine of the Church, the history of Caritas, and the importance of fostering a culture of compassion and service to the most vulnerable, delivered by Sister Gaudiose Nyiraneza, in charge of Awareness and Emergency Response in the Social Welfare Department of Caritas Rwanda.
Following the above presentation, Jean Népomuscène Hakizimana, Head of the Social Welfare Department at Caritas Kabgayi, explained how the Charity Month initiative is implemented and how dioceses have been mobilizing contributions since 2019.
Jean Népomuscène also highlighted the message of Pope Francis on the role of Caritas in the Church’s mission, shared during his meeting with leaders of Caritas Internationalis on May 16, 2023. The Pope emphasized that Caritas is essential to the life of the Church, stating that without Caritas, the Church itself would not exist, underscoring the inseparable bond between Caritas and the Church.
A message seminarians will carry forward
After expressing gratitude to the delegations from Caritas Rwanda and Caritas Kabgayi, Father Claudien Mutuyimana, Rector of Kabgayi Major Seminary, affirmed that the seminarians would put the message into practice: “The poor belong to God, and God entrusts them to us so that we may serve Him through them and show them God’s love through charity acts, as Christ taught us. If we truly desire to belong to Him, we must place the poor at the center. As Pope Benedict XVI said, helping the poor means giving them what is rightfully theirs: it is restoring the dignity that God bestowed upon them.”
During an interview with Caritas Rwanda, some seminarians shared that they already engage in charity acts among themselves. During Lent and Advent, they organize collections, make personal sacrifices, and extend support to vulnerable people outside the seminary. Their outreach particularly benefits patients at Kabgayi Hospital, prisoners at Muhanga Correctional Facility, and communities surrounding the seminary. They also regularly participate in blood donation activities.
Such awareness initiatives help nurturing future Caritas leaders committed to human dignity, social justice, and service to others.
It is worth noting that a similar awareness session was previously conducted at Saint Joseph Major Seminary of Rutongo on April 22, 2026.