Ntarama Catholic Church is located in the Bugasara district of Rwanda. 

After the genocide began in April 1994, thousands of Tutsi civilians fled to Ntarama Church seeking refuge, believing—as in past episodes of violence—that the church would offer safety. Instead, between April 10 and 14, Interahamwe militias and local Hutu civilians, often aided by local officials and police, surrounded the church.

They used grenades to break into the building and then slaughtered those inside, hacked to death with machetes, beaten with clubs, or shot. Women were often subjected to sexual violence before being killed. 

Among the most horrific scenes was in the Sunday school building, a small brick classroom adjacent to the church itself. Hundreds of children were taken or trapped there by the attackers. The perpetrators smashed the children against the brick walls, killed infants by striking them, or threw them against the floor and walls. Many were stabbed or beaten to death. On the memorial wall today, you can still see blood stains and marks left from the violence.

“The children were gathered into the Sunday school. We heard their screams before they were silenced. None of them survived.” - Survivor

People hiding in the surrounding area were hunted down as well. It’s estimated that over 10,000 people were killed in and around the church over just a few days.

Today, the Ntarama Genocide Memorial preserves the church exactly as it was left after the massacre—bloodstained clothing, pews, and the altar remain as evidence. Beneath the church lie crypts containing the remains of more than 45,000 victims from Nyamata and nearby areas.