October 2020
In this email we bring you our continuing monthly series of blogs written by our seminarians. We hope you find their writings spiritually uplifting and educational.
Story of Faith and Citizenship
My name is Evrard Muhoza. I was born and raised in Burundi, a small country in East Africa. My family and I immigrated to the United States in 2014 as Refugees. I was very excited to live in a new country with new people and a new culture.
As I started a new journey in the United States, my life was completely changed. I loved going to school on the school bus. At school, the teachers would talk for hours, but I could not understand most of the lectures. My English was very limited, and it was very difficult for me to express myself. Whenever I tried to talk, I would run out of words and I found myself talking more with gestures. It took a while for me to adapt to the new environment. Despite all the difficulties, I continued to learn new things every day.
As a refugee I was required to obtain citizenship after living here for a certain time period. In my case, I had to live in the U.S for five years. Since it has been five years, I applied for citizenship in December. The process for applying and becoming a citizen usually takes about four months. My application took longer because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of my appointments were delayed. I finally became a citizen at the end of July.
There are three things that feel different about living in this country as a citizen opposed to as a refugee. First, I get the feeling that I am home. Second, I get to be called an American. Third, I now have the same advantages as everyone else. I now have the freedom to go back to visit my family and friends in Burundi. It has been a long time since I saw them, and I miss them a lot. I am looking forward to voting for the first time and continuing to adapt here in America.
I give praise to God for all that he does for me and my family. My life in America has been positively changed than if I was still in Burundi. I feel proud of who I have become in the six years that I have been in America. It has been a blessing, and I embrace it each day as I discern my call here at Bishop Simon Brute.
Evrard Muhoza is a Bruté seminarian studying for the Archdiocese of Louisville and a member of the Class of 2022.
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