The Servants of God Cyprien and Daphrose Rugamba are our holy role-models for May.  These are the most recent holy people featured in my book– they were still alive when I was born, and I’m only 30!  In my research for my book, I even had the privilege of hearing firsthand accounts from someone who knew them personally.  This amazing couple was killed in the Rwandan genocide, but before their death, they sowed seeds of peace and unity in their country.

Background and Early Years of Marriage

Cyprien (Sipiriyani) Rugamba and Daphrose (Daforoza) Mukasanga were both born in the village of Cyanika in southern Rwanda, he in 1935 and she in 1944.  In his youth, Cyprien attended seminary for a few years, but he eventually changed course, studying history, poetry, and music.  He became an advocate for Rwandan art.  Despite growing tension between ethnic groups, Cyprien welcomed all Rwandans to join The National Ballet, which he founded.  In 1965, Cyprien married Daphrose, a schoolteacher.  She was actually the cousin of the woman he truly loved, Xaverina.  Xaverina, a Tutsi, had been tragically killed in early ethnic massacres that foreshadowed the coming nationwide horror. 

Cyprien and Daphrose did not have a happy start to their marriage.  At one point, Cyprien even packed up Daphrose’s belongings and “returned her” to her family, which is a grave insult in Rwandan culture (I think it would seem fairly insulting in any culture, for that matter).  He took her back, but continued to be unfaithful, even having an illegitimate daughter.  The most difficult part for Daphrose, though, was her husband’s disdain for her Catholic faith.  Cyprien had become a fierce atheist, even breaking her crucifixes in two.  But Daphrose never stopped praying for Cyprien. She brought all ten of their children (including Cyprien’s illegitimate daughter, whom she lovingly adopted) to Mass each week.

In 1982, Cyprien suddenly became mysteriously and gravely ill.  Daphrose cared for him tenderly, and finally accompanied him to Belgium to explore new treatment options.  Cyprien was miraculously cured before the plane even landed in Europe!  In his own words, Cyprien “started singing to [God]… and from that moment on, [He] has never ceased to enlighten and attract me (Bescond).”  In this moment, all of his mysterious physical symptoms disappeared. More importantly, the spiritual illness caused by his hardness of heart also left him.  He knew that he owed his physical and spiritual healing to his devoted wife’s prayers on his behalf over the past 17 years of their marriage.  Cyprien was transformed into a joyful man and a faithful, affectionate husband. 

Changed for Good

The remaining 12 years of the Rugambas’ marriage (1982-1994) were filled with love and joy.  It is rare to show affection in public in Rwanda, but Cyprien insisted on holding his wife’s hand, saying “I wasted too much time.  I have to make up for lost time (Moens)!”  Daphrose forgave her husband wholeheartedly for any pain he had caused her, and their reconciliation was complete. Cyprien now helped Daphrose build a domestic church in their home, from leading daily prayer for the family to taking them all on local pilgrimages.

In 1992, the Rugambas started a rudimentary ministry where street children could be bathed, fed, loved, and told about Jesus.  The genocide haulted the ministry’s work briefly, but today, Centre Cyprien et Daphrose Rugamba (CECYDAR) takes in around 100 children ages 6-17 at a time.  Here, children receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, as well as academic and spiritual formation.  Older teenagers often receive vocational training, and many can now provide for themselves.  By 2017, about 1,500 children had been aided by the Center (Fidesco).

The Rugambas were also instrumental in bringing the Emmanuel Community, a Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement, to Rwanda.  Members of this community meet frequently in small groups called Households.  They vow to serve God through evangelization and prayer.  Cyprien and Daphrose envisioned Households as places where Rwandans of different ethnic and social groups could gather in peace and unity.  To this end, Cyprien would constantly remind community members that what mattered was not their ethnic group or political party, but that they belonged to the “party of Jesus (Bescond).”  The community indeed became a symbol of unity, and therefore a major target of the genocide; in fact, a third of the chapter’s members were killed.  Still, the community continued to grow.  By 2017 there were 1,200 members, from all ethnic groups (EC). 

“I will enter the gates of heaven dancing.“

servant of god Cyprien rugamba

Cyprien had a fair amount of influence in Rwanda, and he refused to stay silent about the danger posed by increasing ethnic hatred.  He personally advised the president to stop the registration of ethnicity on identity cards, and he spoke out against popular radio broadcasts that glorified killings of Tutsis.  Cyprien’s voice was becoming increasingly inconvenient in the face of violence and hatred.  He knew his name was on hit lists, but refused to abandon the Emmanuel Community and the center for children he and Daphrose ran together.        

Death and Legacy

On April 7, 1994- the very first day of the Rwandan genocide- Cyprien and Daphrose were lined up in their garden and shot along with six of their children and two visitors.  The youngest present child was only four or five years old.   In the following three months, an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered, many hacked to death with machetes by their own neighbors. 

Despite their tragic deaths, the Rugambas’ legacy of unity and love lives on today through the CECYDAR and the Emmanuel Community.  “They died because they were witnesses of love,” their friend Jean-Luc Moens told me. He and others are working to have Cyprien and Daphrose declared martyrs.  The beatification cause for this beautiful couple officially opened in September 2015, just after the Synod on the Family, which is very fitting. If you would like to learn more about the couple or donate to their beatification cause (all of the necessary investigation takes funding!), check out the Emmanuel Community page. Maybe this amazing man and woman will be some of our next Blesseds in the Church!

References:

Bescond, Annick, Olivier Rugamba, Dorcy Rugamba, Jean-Luc Moens, and Francois-Xavier Ngarambe. J’Entrerai au Ciel en Dansant. Directed by Francois Lespes, Saje Production/ KTO Television, 2017. Online.

Moens, Jean-Luc. Personal interview. July 8, 2020.

“Rugamba Center. Kigali Rwanda.” Fidesco International. http://www.fidesco-international.org/be/prj/centre-rugumba/.

“What We Do.” Emmanuel Community. http://emmanuelcommunity.com/what-we-do/.