The burial ceremony of celebrated Catholic priest, Father Ubald Rugirangoga is slated for the end of this month at his home parish in Western Province, The New Times has learned.

According to Celestin Hakizimana, Bishop of Gikongoro Diocese, who is also the caretaker of Cyangugu Diocese pending consecration of the newly appointed bishop, the deceased’s remains are expected to be repatriated from the United States on February 24.

The repatriation was supposed to have taken place end of January, but, according to Hakizimana, the exercise was delayed by Covid-19 protocols for travel.

Rugirangoga breathed his last in Utah, United States, on January 8, owing to respiratory complications linked to Covid-19 that the cleric had healed from.

Speaking to The New Times on Saturday, February 13, Hakizimana said that if nothing changes, the burial ceremony will take place in two weeks' time.

"We had a meeting yesterday with different concerned people and agreed that his remains will set be repatriated from the US on February 24," he said. 

"That means that his body will arrive in Rwanda on February 26, and the burial ceremony takes place two days later,” he added.

The ceremony will be held at the Centre for Peace in Rwanda, Nkaka Parish Cyangugu Diocese in Western Province. Before his death, Rugirangoga was serving as the director of the centre.

According to Hakizimana, there are plans to hold a requiem mass in Kigali, before the cleric’s remains are taken to Rusizi District for burial.

"While in the meeting, we resolved that we would request the Ministry of Local Government for permission to hold mass while observing Covid-19 measures. If it happens as planned, the mass will take place on February 27,” he said.

The Bishop explained that the idea behind the mass is in line with the fact that the cleric had friends and family members who can’t make it to his burial ceremony because of the Covid-19 guidelines in place.

Father Rugirangoga is among others hailed for running seminars urging Genocide perpetrators to seek forgiveness and survivors to forgive their tormentors as part of the healing process from the wounds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

He was in 2015 recognised as a protector of the pact (umurinzi w’igihango) owing to his effort to reconcile communities deeply affected by the Genocide.

Born on April 26, 1955 in Karengera Sector, Nyamasheke District, Rugirangoga was a genocide survivor whose father was killed in 1962 and his mother in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.