Cradle of Priesthood in Rwanda Celebrate Jubilee of 100 Years

{{Saint Leo Minor Seminary Kabgayi was founded in 1912; Rwanda then belonged to the Apostolic Vicariate of Kivu, administered by His Excellency Bishop Jean Joseph Hirth (1854-1931). }}

For a better understanding of the origin of the Minor Seminary, we must go further back in history before the existence of the Vicariate of Kivu.

In 1904, H.E. Mgr Hirth who was then visiting the missionaries who had been in Save for already four years, asked them to prepare Rwandan candidates who would join Kigoromola Seminary in the region of Ihingiro near Bukoba in Tanzania.

The Bishop insisted on the importance of that plan for the future of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Nyanza.

In the circulations of the Prelate, it became clear that he gave much importance to that kind of formation; since he had already some minor details of his first seminary.

In 1909, H.E. Bishop Hirth inaugurated Saint Léon Minor Seminary of Rubya located in the same region of Ihangiro. Of eighteen young people enrolled in that seminary, four were Rwandans. Of the first 15 seminarians sent to Rubya, six of them reached priesthood.

Saint Leon Minor Seminary shifted from Tanzania and came to Kabgayi on 4th October 1913; after settling at Nyaruhengeri in the mission of Kansi for practically a year.

Then it received the seminarians of both Rwanda and Burundi. At first, the Seminary of Kabgayi had both minor and major seminarians, because at that time the Bishop had repatriated his seminarians who had finished the Minor seminary in Tanzania.

Later on the two institutions separated on 26th March 1917 under the direction of Father Léon Classe, when the Board decided to separate the Major from the Minor Seminaries into two entities.

The Minor seminary passed under the direction of Father Briquet assisted by Father Laurent Déprimoz while the Major seminary went under the responsibility of Father Cornelle Smoor assisted by Father Giai Via.

Saint Leon Minor Seminary of Kabgayi housed seminarians from Burundi until 1926, when their first Seminary was set up at Mugera in Burundi; in our neighbouring country. From December 1912 until 3rd October 1931, 639 seminarians were recruited at Kabgayi Seminary.