GITEGA, December 24th (ABP) – The Archdiocese of Gitega, with the support of the diocese of Eichstätt in Germany, organized, on Friday, December 20, 2024 at the archbishopric of Gitega, a general meeting to present the results of the project “Contribution to education in human and Christian values through awareness of the person and on teachings of Michel Kayoya and the establishment of a permanent steering committee for the Michel Kayoya center programme for reconciliation and integral development “CEMIKAREDI”, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
In his opening speech, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Gitega, Mgr. Nestor Niyokindi, praised the step already taken in the project “Contribution to education in human and Christian values through awareness of the person and teachings of Michel Kayoya. He called on all Burundians to be characterized by the charitable spirit and hope of Michel Kayoya in order to achieve sustainable development in the country.
Father Venant Mpozako, parish priest of Mugera and member of the commission in charge of investigating Michel Kayoya in order to be proclaimed among the Saints, said that the commission has already met with different categories including journalists, senior seminarians of John Paul II, junior seminarians of Mugera, village notables of Bugendana (Abahuza), officials of the Bugendana commune, public security officers, members of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR), etc. He said that all these categories indicated that they were satisfied with the teachings of Michel Kayoya. These groups suggested that these teachings be introduced in schools so that children grow up with a spirit similar to that of this priest to effectively combat evil.
They also suggested that all parishes could organize training series for their faithful on the teachings of Kayoya in order to help them eradicate evil in their community.
Taking the floor, the bursar of the Archdiocese of Gitega, Father Gervais Niyimbona, said that the Archdiocese of Gitega plans to build a Michel Kayoya Center for reconciliation and integral development called “CEMIKAREDI” in order to always keep this priest in memory.
He stressed that this center will be of paramount importance for the country considering the infrastructures that will be built there, namely conference rooms, hotels, a library, sports fields, etc. He indicated that this center will be built in the Nyabiharage quarter in the urban center of Gitega, once the funding is available.