Father Balthazar Ntivuguruzwa has been appointed as the new Bishop of Kabgayi Diocese succeeding Bishop Smaragde Mbonyintege who has gone into retirement, according to an announcement by the Office of the Pope's Envoy in Rwanda on Tuesday, May 2.

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Ntivuguruzwa was born on September 15, 1967, and was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Kabgayi in 1997. He has served in various capacities and held several key positions in the Diocese of Kabgayi, amassing over two decades of experience in the priesthood.

He studied at St. Léon's Minor Seminary in Kabgayi and continued his studies at St. Joseph's Major Seminary in Rutongo. He also holds a master's degree in theology from the Catholic University in Kinshasa, DR Congo and a PhD in Theology from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.

From 1997 to 2000, he served as the Assistant Director of the Kabgayi Minor Seminary, a role that he shared with teaching. He was also the Pastoral Secretary of the Diocese of Kabgayi and was appointed to oversee studies at Nyakibanda Major Seminary from 2010 to 2017. Until his appointment as Bishop, he was serving as the Vice-Chancellor of the Catholic Institute of Kabgayi (ICK).

Retiring Bishop Mbonyintege, born in 1947, was appointed as Bishop of Kabgayi by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 and was ordained as a bishop on March 26, 2006. He has dedicated himself to the service of the Diocese of Kabgayi for several years.

The Diocese of Kabgayi, which covers an area of 2,187 square kilometers, is spread over four districts, namely Muhanga, Kamonyi, Ruhango, and a small part of the Nyanza district in the South. Its history dates back to 1952, coinciding with the religious history of Christianity in Rwanda.