This was the attendance at Yezu Nyirimpuhwe shrine this past Sunday, a record. The numbers of faithfuls trekking to the site is increasing every other month. It is claimed people get healed there.
A landowner in Ruhango District has become the center of controversy after demanding Rwf 700 million from the Catholic Church for a 3.8-hectare plot needed to expand the the ‘Yezu Nyirimpuhwe’ site or Shrine of Jesus of Divine Mercy, one of Rwanda’s largest pilgrimage sites.
The Catholic shrine, which attracts tens of thousands of worshippers every month—and over 200,000 on Divine Mercy Sunday this past weekend—has been long planned for a larger, sheltered church at the Valley of Peace (Ikibaya cy’Amahoro) to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims.
The new structure was to be constructed on land adjacent to the current open-air site.
But negotiations with the unnamed landowner—who church leaders say is a devout Catholic and longtime supporter of the shrine—have stalled the project.
“At first, he agreed to sell the land for Rwf 100 million,” said Fr. Jean Marie Vianney Nizeyimana, the priest in charge of the shrine.
“We raised the amount. But then he said the price had gone up to Rwf 150 million, then Rwf 350 million, then Rwf 500 million. Eventually, he said he could not part with the land unless we paid Rwf 700 million, as it was part of his retirement plan.”
The landowner has not spoken publicly about the dispute, but sources say he sees the land’s spiritual and economic value increasing with each passing year.
It means the landowner wants seven times more than he had asked for at the beginning, or $490,0000.
Fr. Nizeyimana expressed disappointment, noting that the church trusted the landowner not to exploit the shrine’s religious significance.
“This wasn’t a commercial project. We just wanted to provide better shelter for the faithful,” he said. “But he kept changing the price, and finally, we had to abandon the idea of buying it.”
Attempts to mediate through Ruhango District and Southern Province authorities were unsuccessful, leaving church leaders with no choice but to develop a new architectural plan to build vertically on their existing, smaller plot.
The Valley of Peace was once a wooded area but has since been transformed into a fenced, open field with minimal infrastructure. During peak prayer days, it is filled to capacity with worshippers kneeling in the sun, on mats, under umbrellas, or in makeshift tents.
Pilgrims often share testimonies of healing and answered prayers from visits to the site. Many say they feel an undeniable spiritual power in the Valley.
Despite the setback, Fr. Nizeyimana remains hopeful. “Even if we don’t expand outward, we will expand upward. We’re moving forward with what we have. God’s mission will not be stopped.”
