Zaza is a sector in Rwanda to the east of

Lake Mugesera Lake Mugesera is a lake in the Eastern Province, Rwanda. The lake is in the Central Plateau, southeast of Kigali. The lake is part of a complex of lakes and wetlands in a flat valley running in a SSE direction, wide. The Nyawarungu River meander ...

and about west of

Kibungo Kibungo is a town and sector in the Republic of Rwanda. It is the political, administrative and commercial capital of Ngoma District. In 1998, Kibungo became the site of at least four of Rwanda's last 22 executions. All of the convicts were execu ...

. It is located in the Ngoma District of the Eastern Province of

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

. The entire population of the sector are living in rural areas (2022 census), on an area of 61.55 square kilometers.

History

The

White Fathers The White Fathers (), officially known as the Missionaries of Africa (), and abbreviated MAfr, are a Roman Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right (for men). They were founded in 1868 by Charles-Martial Allemand-Lavigerie, who w ...

founded a mission at Zaza in January 1902, where they taught the local people reading, writing and the gospel. A huge number of local laborers were recruited to assist in building the mission, causing friction with the local notables. At first, the priests were not particularly selective in baptizing people. After several hundred had been baptized at Zara, Bishop

John Joseph Hirth John Joseph Hirth (; 26 March 1854 – 6 January 1931) was a Catholic bishop in German East Africa, known as the founder of the church in Rwanda. Early years John Joseph Hirth was born on 26 March 1854 at Spechbach-le-Bas (Niederspechbach), near ...

asked them to baptise fewer but of better quality. Zaza was the birthplace of Aloys Bigirumwami, the first Rwandan to become a bishop. Later the Carmelite sisters founded a monastery at Zara. They adopted local customs, and in 1967 left the monastery building, built huts in the local style, and began to support themselves through farming.

References

Citations Sources * * * * {{refend Eastern Province, Rwanda Populated places in Rwanda White Fathers missions