As his ordination to the transitional diaconate nears, seminarian Evrard Muhoza said he looks forward to preaching and sharing in the lives of parishioners.
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre will ordain Muhoza a deacon on April 26 at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Assumption in downtown Louisville. Ordination to the transitional diaconate is a step on a seminarian’s path to the priesthood.
“I’m looking forward to pretty much everything, but mostly to preaching,” Muhoza said in a recent interview.
“When I was very young, living in Burundi, I loved the homilies at my home parish, Mont Sion Gikungu,” he said. “The priests would tell stories. I love the stories and how they connected them to the Scriptures. Hopefully, I’ll be able to tell stories, too, when I preach.”
Muhoza, who attends St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in southern Indiana, is an immigrant from Burundi.
He and his parents, Severin Barumunungu and Pascaline M. Sinzinkayo, arrived in Louisville in 2014, when Muhoza was 11 years old. In his native Kirundi language, his last name, Muhoza, means “to comfort.” His parents have a tradition of giving their children a last name that tells of the goodness of God, Muhoza explained.
“When I was very young, living in Burundi, I loved the homilies at my home parish, Mont Sion Gikungu. The priests would tell stories. I love the stories and how they connected them to the Scriptures. Hopefully, I’ll be able to tell stories too when I preach.“
— Evrard Muhoza
He is currently in his seventh year of formation. Before St. Meinrad, he also received priestly formation at Bishop Simon Bruté Seminary College, while he earned a bachelor’s degree in Catholic studies at Marian University in Indianapolis.
In addition to preaching, Muhoza said he’s also looking forward to celebrating some of the sacraments as a deacon and “serving in any way the archdiocese wants me to serve.”
He’s particularly interested in accompanying couples preparing for marriage and beyond, he said.
“One of the things I love is marriage prep. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to prepare couples for marriage,” he said.
Muhoza noted that coming from a different culture, he was shocked by the high rate of divorces in this country, and it caused him to question why. He wants to prepare couples for marriage and accompany them on their journey after the wedding, he said.
As April 26 nears, Muhoza said he feels at “peace” but also “nervous.”
He doesn’t know where he will be assigned as a deacon, but he said he’s “open to where the Lord wants to send me. I pray wherever I’m sent, I accept it with obedience and learn about the parish and the people and learn to love them.”
Father Martin Linebach, vicar for vocations and director of the Office of Vocation, said Muhoza will do well as a deacon.
“He’s such a fine man. He’s very prayerful. One of the greatest virtues that will assist him is his kindness. He’s an exceedingly kind man,” said Father Linebach. “People will be comfortable with him and sense that.”
Father Linebach said Muhoza has been recognized for his leadership in the seminary. Muhoza is the dean of his house at St. Meinrad, which requires him to organize meetings and provide direction and mentoring to younger seminarians.
Father Linebach said Muhoza has remained humble despite his accomplishments and recognition.
“I’m not sure he knows how good he is. … There’s strong humility there,” Father Linebach added.
