After 58 years of service, the beloved astronomy teacher and protector during genocide leaves lasting legacy
KIGALI, RWANDA – Father Claude Talbot, a Belgian Catholic priest who devoted nearly six decades to education and ministry in Rwanda, passed away on October 26, 2025, at Kabuga Independence Hospital in Gasabo District, Kigali. He was 87 years old.
The Diocese of Butare announced his death in a statement released Saturday evening, with Bishop Mgr Jean Bosco Ntagungira expressing profound sorrow at the loss of one of the diocese’s most dedicated servants.
Born on May 5, 1938, in Liège, Belgium, Father Talbot was ordained to the priesthood in 1962. Five years later, in 1967, he arrived in Rwanda, beginning what would become a lifelong commitment to the country and its people. He initially served as an assistant priest at Butare Cathedral Parish while also working as an educator at the minor seminary in Kansi, Gisagara District.
A Pioneer in Science Education
In 1972, when the minor seminary relocated to Karubanda in Huye and was renamed Virgo Fidelis, Father Talbot moved with it. For the next five decades, he became a transformative figure in the lives of countless seminarians, teaching not just theology but practical skills that were rare in Rwanda at the time.
Dr. Innocent Twagirimana, who studied under Father Talbot from 1983 to 1989 and now teaches at the University of Rwanda’s College of Education, recalled the priest’s unique approach to preparing students for life beyond seminary walls.
“He taught us typing, photography and photo development, basic electrical skills, and radio construction,” Dr. Twagirimana told local media. “Every student who graduated had built their own radio. Those who excelled helped spread this knowledge to young people in surrounding areas like Cyarwa, Vumbi, and Kinteko. Father Talbot even provided bicycles to seminarians for these outreach activities.”
Father Talbot was particularly passionate about introducing cutting-edge technology to his students, often before it became widely available in the country. In the 1980s, he taught computer programming on machines he had named “Epaminondas” and “Leonidas,” skills that propelled some of his students to become technology leaders in Rwanda.
A Polymath’s Legacy
Dr. Alfred Ngirababyeyi, now based in Geneva, Switzerland, remembered arriving at the seminary in 1995 after fleeing the genocide. “Father Talbot welcomed us warmly. Some of us learned radio construction, others typing—I chose the latter. He helped us emerge from the difficult period following the Genocide against the Tutsi, offering us wise counsel. He taught us the value of silence in morning meditations, which helped us develop resilience.”
As a trained physicist specializing in astronomy, Father Talbot maintained a laboratory that was always open to students. Dr. Charles Nkurunziza and Jean Claude Zigiranyirazo, who studied under him in the early 2000s, recalled his meticulous attention to detail and passion for sharing knowledge.
“During the 2002 World Cup, he created detailed calendars of all the matches for us,” Dr. Nkurunziza said. “He brought us science magazines like ‘Science et Vie’ and encouraged us to read them.”
Zigiranyirazo remembered Father Talbot’s telescope sessions: “He showed us the moon’s craters through his telescope—it was absolutely thrilling. He brought in small computers named after saints, introducing us to technology that hadn’t yet spread throughout the country.”
Courage During Rwanda’s Darkest Hours
Father Talbot’s commitment to his students transcended the classroom, particularly during Rwanda’s periods of ethnic violence. Father Placide Uwineza, who studied at the seminary and later served there from 2001 to 2014, recounted Father Talbot’s protection of Tutsi seminarians during the 1973 ethnic persecutions.
“In 1973, when some seminarians were expelled from school, Father Talbot secretly gave them grades so they could continue their studies at home during those difficult times,” Father Uwineza said. “During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, he stayed with those who were being hunted, protecting them, and remained at the seminary during those terrible days.”
Father Talbot was also deeply committed to helping impoverished students access education. He frequently provided school fees to talented students from poor families, often saying, “Les génies sont derrière les vaches” (The geniuses are behind the cows)—meaning that many brilliant children were stuck herding cattle due to poverty rather than attending school.
Through his association with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, he extended his charitable work beyond the seminary walls, supporting the poor throughout the region.
A Life of Service Remembered
Father Talbot also taught physics and mathematics at the National Teachers’ College (IPN) in Butare, expanding his influence beyond seminary education to shape a generation of Rwandan educators.
Those who knew him describe a man who combined intellectual brilliance with pastoral care, scientific curiosity with deep faith, and technical expertise with genuine compassion for the marginalized.
“He taught us to observe, to think critically, to build things with our hands, and to serve others,” said Dr. Twagirimana. “That is an extraordinary legacy.”
Funeral arrangements are being coordinated by the Diocese of Butare. Father Talbot’s 58 years of service in Rwanda stand as a testament to the profound impact one dedicated educator can have across generations.
He is survived by countless former students scattered across the globe, many now leaders in their fields, all carrying forward the lessons learned from the Belgian priest who chose to make Rwanda his home.
