On August 12, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Father Bosco Ntagungira as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Butare.
The announcement was made at noon, Kigali time, by the Vatican, marking the succession of Bishop Philippe Rukamba, who previously led the diocese.
The official statement reads, “His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the retirement request of Bishop Philippe Rukamba, who served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Butare in Rwanda. Additionally, Pope Francis has appointed Father Jean Bosco Ntagungira, who was the parish priest of Remera, as the new Bishop of Butare.”
Father Jean Bosco Ntagungira was born in Kigali on April 3, 1964.
He attended secondary school at the Minor Seminary of Ndera in Kigali, continuing his studies at the Major Seminaries of Rutongo, Kabgayi, and Nyakibanda.
He was ordained as a priest on August 1, 1993. After his ordination, he served as the Director of Studies at the Minor Seminary of Ndera from 1993 to 1994.
He then pursued further studies in Rome from 1994 to 2001, where he earned a doctorate in Canon Law.
Upon returning from Rome in 2001, he served as the Secretary of the Archdiocese of Kigali and headed the Commission for Evangelization and Interfaith Relations.
From 2002 to 2019, he was the Rector of the Minor Seminary of Ndera, after which he became the parish priest of Remera, a position he held until his recent appointment as Bishop.
Father Jean Bosco Ntagungira becomes the third Bishop of Butare, following in the footsteps of Jean Baptiste Gahamanyi and Bishop Philippe Rukamba.
Who is Bishop Philippe Rukamba, the outgoing bishop?
Bishop Philippe Rukamba, who is now retiring, was born on May 26, 1948, in Rwinkwavu, currently in Kayonza District, Eastern Province.
He was baptized on May 29, 1948. His primary education took place in Rwinkwavu, Rulindo, Rwamagana, and Zaza.
In 1961, he entered the Minor Seminary of Kabgayi. In 1965, he continued his studies at the Saint-Paul Seminary in Kigali, where he completed his secondary education with a focus on Greek and Latin.
On September 14, 1968, he entered the Major Seminary of Nyakibanda to study Philosophy and Theology.
He was ordained as a priest on June 2, 1974, by Bishop Aloys Bigirumwami at Nyundo. In 1976, Bishop Joseph Sibomana, then Bishop of the Diocese of Kibungo, sent him to Rome for advanced studies, where he earned a doctorate with a thesis titled Saint Cyprian and Martyrdom.
From 1983 to 1991, he served as the Rector of the Minor Seminary of Zaza. From 1991 to 1992, he was the spiritual director at the Major Seminary of Philosophy in Kabgayi. Starting in 1992, he served as the parish priest of Kibungo Cathedral.
On January 18, 1997, he was appointed Bishop, and on April 12, 1997, he was consecrated at the Butare Cathedral.