A Commemoration Day dedicated to honoring those who perished during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. This initiative reflects Rwanda’s broader national commitment to remembrance, healing, and unity — a commitment embodied in the country’s annual commemoration theme: “Remember, Unite, Renew.

Across the country, April 7th marks the beginning of Kwibuka, a 100-day period of national mourning and reflection. The year 2025 marks the 31st commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. The theme resonates deeply in communities like Butare, where churches — once seen as places of sanctuary — became sites of unimaginable horror. Spaces once regarded as safe and sacred were turned into places of shocking violence and murder.

In this spirit, the Butare Diocese will hold its own Commemoration Day on June 15, 2025, at the diocesan headquarters in Huye District, Southern Province. The event will be held under the theme: “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

The Rt. Rev. Christophe Nshimyimana, Bishop of the EAR Butare Diocese, emphasized the spiritual and communal significance of the day. “First, it is our duty to honor the memory of innocent people who were killed in a very cruel way,” he said. “We stand with the victims and their families, and we recognize their value and the pain they went through.”

But remembrance is not only about looking back,it is also about building forward. “We have a responsibility to bring hope to survivors,” Bishop Nshimyimana continued. “This means being close to them, showing God’s love through care and support, and helping to improve their lives with dignity and kindness.”

The Bishop also called on the community to foster reconciliation. “We encourage individuals to foster love for one another by promoting peace and reconciliation and by urging those who participated in the Genocide to come forward, acknowledge their actions such as involvement in killings, looting, betrayal of neighbors, or other forms of complicity and seek forgiveness,” he said.

The June 15th event will include prayers, testimonies, and moments of silence. It will also serve as a platform for survivors and their families to share their stories, reaffirming the church’s role as a place of healing and truth.

As Rwanda continues its journey of remembrance and renewal, events like EAR Butare Diocese’s Remembrance Day underscore the enduring power of faith, memory, and community in the face of past atrocities. They serve as a powerful reminder that, through shared mourning and a dedication to peace, a nation can begin to heal even its most profound wounds.

Jeremie Niyiguha (25), the author of this article, is from the Diocese of Butare in the Anglican Church of Rwanda. He is currently spending a voluntary social year in the Protestant Church District of An Sieg und Rhein.