Diocese of

Butare

Rwanda

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Butare / Butaren(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Kigali

Neighbouring Dioceses: Gikongoro (↖), Kabgayi (↑), Kigali (↗), Muyinga (→), Ngozi (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1961.09.11: Established as Diocese of Astrida / Astridæn(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kabgayi and became suffragan of Kabgayi)
1963.11.12: Renamed as Diocese of Butare / Butaren(sis) (Latin)
1976.04.10: Became suffragan of Kigali
1992.03.30: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Gikongoro

Present Prelates

Bishop (2024.08.12 – ...):

Bishop Jean Bosco Ntagungira (61)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Butare (Roman Rite)

Bishop Jean Bosco Ntagungira (61)
(2024.08.12 – ...)

Bishop of Butare (Rwanda)

Born:	1964.04.03 (Kigali, Rwanda)
Ordained Priest:	1993.08.01
Consecrated Bishop:	2024.10.05

Priest of Kigali (Rwanda) (1993.08.01 – 2024.08.12)

Bishop of Butare (Rwanda) (2024.08.12 – ...)

Bishop Philippe Rukamba (77)
(1997.01.02 – 2024.08.12)

Bishop emeritus of Butare (Rwanda)

Considerate Jesum

Born:	1948.05.26 (Kabarondo, Rwanda)
Ordained Priest:	1974.07.25
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.04.12

Priest of Kibungo (Rwanda) (1974.07.25 – 1997.01.02)

Bishop of Butare (Rwanda) (1997.01.02 – 2024.08.12)

Apostolic Administrator of Gikongoro (Rwanda) (2012.05.28 – 2014.11.26)

President of Episcopal Conference of Rwanda (2015.12 – 2022.12.02)

Bishop Jean-Baptiste Gahamanyi
(1963.11.12 – 1997.01.02)

In caritate et pace

Born:	1920 (Kaduha, Burundi)
Ordained Priest:	1951.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:	1962.01.06
Died:	1999.06.19 († 78)

Bishop of Astrida (Rwanda) (1961.09.11 – 1963.11.12)

Bishop of Butare (Rwanda) (1963.11.12 – 1997.01.02)

Apostolic Administrator sede plena of Gikongoro (Rwanda) (1994.11.11 – 1995?)

Bishops of Astrida (Roman Rite)

Bishop Jean-Baptiste Gahamanyi
(1961.09.11 – 1963.11.12)

(see above)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Sagesse, Butare, Sud

Gikongoro (↖), Kabgayi (↑), Kigali (↗), Muyinga (→), Ngozi (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 1,958 km²

Population: 707,000 Catholics (54.5% of 1,297,470 total)

Pastoral Centres: 26 parishes

Personnel: 131 priests (82 diocesan, 49 religious), 830 religious (215 brothers, 615 sisters), 38 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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