On August 22, 2024, the 21st National Youth Forum was officially opened in the Diocese of Ruhengeri. The latter brings together around 4000 young people from all 9 Catholic dioceses in Rwanda, to which are added others from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Uganda, and Germany.

The opening Mass of this forum was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Antoine KAMBANDA, Archbishop of Kigali and President of the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda. He was surrounded by His Lordship Vincent HAROLIMANA of the Diocese of Ruhengeri which hosted the event, His Lordship Papias MUSENGAMANA, Bishop of the Diocese of Byumba and President of the Episcopal Commission for Youth, His Lordship Célestin HAKIZIMANA, Bishop of the Diocese of GIKONGORO and His Lordship Anaclet MWUMVANEZA, Bishop of the Diocese of NYUNDO.

Before the opening Mass, the young people gathered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Ruhengeri followed an introductory conference to the forum led by His Lordship Papias MUSENGAMANA. It was an opportunity for him to announce the theme of the forum, namely: "Be joyful in hope, patient in distress, persevering in prayer" (Rom 12:12). This conference was itself preceded by the welcome remarks addressed to all the participants of the Forum by His Lordship Vincent HAROLIMANA. He wished everyone a warm welcome and a good stay in the Diocese of Ruhengrii dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary Our Lady of Fatima.

To announce and explain the theme of the forum, His Lordship Papias Musengamana opened his conference with the reading of the Word of God found in the letter of St. Paul the Apostle to Romans 12:9-10. He stressed that the forum aimed to help young people to encounter God through meditation on the word of God, and to celebrate the double jubilee of 2025 years of the redemption of humanity, and 125 years of evangelization of Rwanda in the framework of youth ministry in the light of this theme of the forum. He invited the young people to fix their gaze on Christ, the source of all hope (Eph 2:11-22).

He asked the young people to know how to discern the reasons for their hope, knowing how to go beyond ephemeral realities and reflecting deeply on the fact that Christ is their hope, He who teaches us how to live in love and peace, which is why they are called to root themselves in Him. He stressed that putting all our hope in Him must then be the source of solutions to all our problems for young people, because from Him comes strength, foresight, and courage. It is by being in communion with Him that we will be healed of the diseases that plunge us into sorrow and despair. He is the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6), and he cannot deceive us. Rather, it is us who make mistakes in seeking happiness elsewhere than in Him.

Bishop Papias MUSINGAMANA told the young people that there are so many things that destroy life, while living properly rhymes with being in good health. He urged young people to guard against everything that damages their lives, following the example of Saint Paul who tells us that "when I am weak I am strong (2Cor 12:10b).

Bishop Papias MUSENGAMANA gave the young people present at the forum the mission of making known to their brothers and sisters who were unable to participate to it the reasons for their hope. He also encouraged them to fight against the apostasy that is increasingly taking on in new and different forms, as the Virgin Mary said in Kibeho. He concluded by wishing the young people a pleasant jubilee.

The conference was directly followed by the ceremony of the exchange of the cross of the forum between the Archdiocese of Kigali and the Diocese of Ruhengeri which is going to host this this forum. This ceremony was closed by the adoration of the cross, which was itself followed by the celebration of the opening Mass of the forum.

The opening mass

The opening Mass of the forum was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Antoine KAMBANDA. During his homily, he rejoiced at the fact that the forum was going to take place at the Shrine of the Virgin Mary Our Lady of Fatima, and that it was going to close with the celebration of the double jubilee of 2025 years of the redemption of humanity, and 125 years of evangelization of Rwanda.

He showed how God invites us to a joy that we can never lose, but at the same time he lamented that instead of accepting it, we are content with the joy that we ourselves seek in various distractions that prevent us from praying and plunge us into different pleasures of the body and into drugs. He insisted that none of this can give us happiness similar to that which we receive from our communion with God. He concluded by telling the young people to know that the Virgin Mary loves them, prays for them and watches over them, and to take to heart the extent to which she wants them to listen to and accept the invitation of her Son Jesus who calls them to receive his graces.

Various speeches before the final blessing

Before the final blessing, several people spoke. First, Fr. Jean de Dieu NDAYISABA, the Diocesan Youth Chaplain in the Diocese of Ruhengeri introduced the various guests present at the forum, namely the Bishops, priests, young people from the different dioceses of Rwanda, the Diocese of Goma, Burundi, Uganda and Germany.

Then, Fr. Alexis NDAGIJIMANA, Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for the Youth, took the floor and gave thanks to God for all the good things that God does for young people during this year. He thanked the men and women religious who helped the young people during this year. He gave a report on youth activities during the year 2023-2024. He thanked Caritas and the Ministry of Youth for the projects carried out together in favor of young people. He announced that young people are currently having problems related mainly to the history of our country and the families where they live. He expressed his gratitude to all those who give themselves to help young people get out of the impasse. Finally, he invited all people of good will to continue caring for young people.

He was followed by the Mayor of the District of Musanze, the administrative place where the forum is taking place. In his remarks, he expressed his thanks to His Emminence Cardinal Antoine KAMBANDA for inviting him to the forum. He asked the young participants in the form to say thank you to the Christians of the Diocese of Ruhengeri for having welcomed them well into their families. He then expressed his thanks to the Catholic Church in Rwanda for its works for the well-being of Christians and the population of Rwanda in general. He asked the young people to guard against all crimes and the wastage culture, and to strive for patriotism, the fight against any kind of division, abuse against children, the use of drugs, theft, and certain bad cultures from foreign countries and which are against the values to which the church educates its children in particular and Rwandans in general. Finally, he encouraged them to take seriously the values that the Church teaches them.

Then the Bishop of Ruhengeri announced that Sunday on August 25, 2024 will be celebrated the double jubilee at the national level, and he thanked the faithful of the diocese of Ruhengeri for hosting this forum. He said that the celebration of the jubilee is a time to look back in order to live it in a joy similar to that inspired by a youth forum. He stressed that this jubilee is a time to give thanks to God by fixing our gaze on Christ, the source of our hope. For him, "this forum is a good time to let ourselves be penetrated by the word of God, and to hear God who calls us all to holiness and goodness." He ended his speech by asking the young people to accept the graces that God will dispense during this forum, and for each one to take another step forward towards Christ, to the point of becoming entrenched in Him in order to be real human beings. He ended his speech by entrusting each of the young people present at the forum to the Virgin Mary of Fatima.

To conclude the day, His Eminence Cardinal Antoine KAMBANDA thanked the Bishops, priests, religious, young people, and other people who took part in the forum. He thanked the diocese of Ruhengeri for hosting the forum, and wished the young people to follow carefully the teachings they will receive in order to return home with a full baggage. In a few words, he announced the program of the celebrations of the double jubilee in the various Catholic dioceses of Rwanda, and finally wished the young people that this forum would be an opportune opportunity for them to let themselves be converted to Christ and his Gospel.

Before the final blessing, the young people had the joy of receiving the Governor of the Northern Province and the Minister of Youth. The latter promised the young people that next Sunday, before the official closure of the forum, he will give them a very nice conference. He took this opportunity to wish the young people that the forum would be a moment of happiness for them. The day ended with the final blessing given by the Bishops present at the forum.

Deacon Jean Renovatus IRADUKUNDA