The final part of the Canonical Visit to the Congo Region, carried out by the Superior General, Father James Lengarin, accompanied by the Vice Superior General, Father Michelangelo Piovano, and the Councilor, Father Erasto Mgalama, was completed with visits to the parishes of Saint Joseph of Arimathea, Bisengo Mwambe, Saint Hilaire, and the philosophical seminary from January 28 to 31.
By Michelangelo Piovano *
“Our presence in this reality is a true consolation, perhaps small and limited, but sustained by the dedication of our missionaries and also by the great example of faith, participation, and involvement of the people and the faithful of our parishes and communities.”
Parish of Saint Joseph of Arimathea and Philosophical Seminary
The parish belongs to the diocese of Kisantu and is located in the same area as the regional house, with the beautiful, spacious, and bright church now completed, along with several initiatives linked to the parish, such as the school, rooms for social activities like sewing and cutting, IT training, Caritas, and the well for the sale and distribution of water.
The parish priest is Father César Balayulu Otsis. He also introduced us to another chapel, with the church now completed, dedicated to the Consolata. Next to it, there is also a well for water distribution and a large piece of land, part of which is cultivated by the philosophical seminary.
On the afternoon of January 28, we visited the “Father Antonio Barbero” Philosophical Seminary. The students number 25: seven in the preparatory year and 18 in philosophy. There is only one formator, Father Toussaint Twite, who presented the community project and the daily life of the community, which, in addition to studies and formative meetings, seeks to sustain itself through housework, cultivation, and a pig farming project.
The following day, January 29, the anniversary of the Institute’s founding, during the Mass celebration, eight third-year students entered postulancy. The Superior General presented them with a crucifix and the Spiritual Life of our Founder. Some family members of the students from Kinshasa also attended. The occasion was followed by a festive moment with dinner, music, songs, and dances.
Parishes of Bisengo Mwambe and Saint Hilaire
On January 30, we left for the parishes of Bisengo Mwambe and St. Hilaire, which are located on the opposite side of the city, in the diocese of Kinshasa, near the airport. This is a densely populated area that is difficult to access due to the sandy roads, especially during the rainy season. It is truly an ad gentes mission, with many social and pastoral challenges.
In the parish of Bisengo Mwambe, Father Victor Kota works as the parish priest, along with Father Innocent Bakwangama. They first took us to visit the chapel of the Consolata, which is even farther from the parish center. We reached it via a road that only expert drivers and good Land Cruisers can manage. The church is located on a beautiful plateau where people have also started building their homes and hope that one day it will become a parish. We were welcomed by a group of faithful from the community. In the same area, there is also a school dedicated to the Consolata, with over 400 students divided between primary and secondary school, attending either in the morning or the afternoon. Additionally, there is a small hospital that is currently only partially operational, with a doctor present three times a week. It has a good maternity ward and an operating room.
We then returned to the parish, where there is also a large school with around 1,200 students in the primary school and 400 in the secondary school. It is a significant and important work, but it requires constant maintenance and materials for the school activities.
In the evening, after a lively Mass with a good number of faithful in attendance, we proceeded to the parish of Saint Hilaire, where Father Dieudonné Ambinikosi serves as the parish priest, along with Father Matthieu Kasinzi. The parish is well-organized, with a beautiful church where we celebrated Mass in the morning with a large congregation, mainly women. After Mass, we spent a moment of prayer at the grotto of the Madonna, especially invoking the gift of peace.
Here, too, we visited the parish schools: primary and secondary, with nearly 900 students, but there is a shortage of classrooms, so some classes are extremely crowded. The parish has a solid pastoral project, the result of serious work carried out over the years.
Afterwards, we traveled back to the regional house, a three-hour journey, mainly due to traffic.
Final Assembly with the Missionaries of the Southern Region
On Saturday, February 1, all the missionaries in the Kinshasa area gathered at the Regional House in Mont Ngafula-Kimbondo for the concluding assembly of the Canonical Visit. The regional superior, Father David Moke, gave a report on the life of the region in recent years and its economy.
Then, the Superior General, Father James Lengarin, gave a final report on the visit, thanking each missionary for their presence, work, and dedication, and offering some guidelines for the life of the region, the communities, and the missionaries, which would later be shared in the concluding letter. This was followed by an open and frank discussion on several aspects, particularly emphasizing the value and importance of fraternity and the family spirit within our Institute, which is international and intercultural in every region. A group photo and lunch concluded the morning meeting.
The following day, Sunday, February 2, the meeting takes place with the Superior General and the visitors accompanying him, together with the Regional Direction Council. It is an important moment of sharing and discernment regarding the life of the region, the communities, and the missionaries.
Thus, the Canonical Visit to this Region ends, a region that lives in a country that has been suffering for years due to war, and in recent days, the conflict has become particularly intense and violent in the area near the Rwanda border and in the city of Goma, causing death, destruction, and a large number of refugees.
In Kinshasa, after some violent protests, calm quickly returned, and students also held peaceful demonstrations. However, this does not mean that there are no tensions and uncertainty about the future. There is much poverty and suffering, with many people fighting every day just to live or survive.
Our presence in this reality is a true consolation, perhaps small and limited, but sustained by the dedication of our missionaries and also by the great example of faith, participation, and involvement from the people and the faithful of our parishes and communities.
May Consolata and St. Joseph Allamano intercede and protect the Congo and every one of our missionaries; this is our prayer and thanksgiving for this month of visits, dialogues, meetings, and moments of sharing and family, all facilitated and prepared with love by each community, and especially by the regional superior, Father David, who guided us on the long journeys to reach our missions.
* Fr. Michelangelo Piovano, IMC, Vice Superior General
