‘Siku njema huonekana asubuhi’, writes Ken Walibora in his swahili novel, Siku Njema. This translates as a nice day is always seen at its dawn. Indeed it was siku njema for us the Consolata missionaries in Congo, the family, friends and relatives and all, who came to pay their last respect to our fallen brother, confrere and friend the late Fr. François Amboko Natambise, imc. There was little rain and the weather was promising. The harsh Kinshasa sun gave in for a cool day. This was a blessing and a nice beginning of a two-day mourning period.
A section of us gathered at St. Joseph Hospital mortuary. This delegation was led by our Regional Superior, Fr. Rinaldo Do, imc. And, by 11.43 am we were en route to Mater Dei Parish, where the late Fr. François served as the Assistant Parish Priest until his untimely demise on the 28th October, 2010.
The arrival at the parish was greeted by the ringing of the church bell, the mourning religious men and women and the queue of the pupils making two lines and in between them the pallbearers who were seminarians in their cassocks.
Despite the somber mood, it was a colorful and triumphal entry into the church which the late served for one year. He won the race and deserved the welcome.
Prayers were conducted, thereafter, by the parish priest of Mater Dei, Fr. Antonello. Then the viewing of the body and paying homage continued.
Later in the evening, at 7.00 pm, there was the Eucharistic celebration. Fr. Rinaldo, Fr. Antonello and Fr. Symphorien assisted each other as the main celebrants amidst many other concelebrants. It was celebrated in lingala, one of the local languages and Fr. Symphorien, the Rector of Bl. J. Allamano theological seminary, Kinshasa, gave out the homily. After the Mass, which lasted until 9.16 pm, was the night vigil prayers and songs very well animated.
The Tuesday, 02nd November, 2010 was a day of its kind. It was the day we thought of all our dear departed members. It was All Souls Day. That morning the sun rose to dry up the wet land and the Christians from all walks of life and all corners of the Democratic Republic of Congo gathered for the Requiem Mass and burial of the late Fr. François. These people of God came to church with well decorated flowers that had the consoling words and the ‘adieu’ to Rev. Fr. François. Many were dressed in black, the official mourning colour!
By ten o’clock, the procession of the clergy had reached the holy altar. The choir was at its best, singing out their voices and playing the instruments to every beat of the music! One of the choir members revealed to me that, ‘our father liked music very much and we want to send him to heaven musically!’
His grace Mgr. Nsielele Mputu Zi Fidèle of Kisantu diocese celebrated the Mass. He was very brief in his sermon, citing the consoling words of both St. Paul and the gospel. He pointed out that the life of our departed brother was and remains a lesson to us, a lesson that we need to remain staunch in persevering the hardships of life and being available for the service of the church.
Among those who publicly witnessed to the life of our departed brother were; a Christian from Bisengo Mwambe, a parish that the late Fr. François pastorally administered before moving to Mater Dei. He revealed the love the late Fr. François had for the youths and his sportive initiatives to bring them together. He was then followed by Fr Ramon, imc who worked with the late in the early years of the 21st century in Ivory Coast. Fr. Ramon exhorted the fallen priest as a great musician. He evangelized with his flute! ‘Since he didn’t know very well the local language, for he had just joined us, he quickly mastered the music of the people and would later sing for them using his flute,’ he told the gathering. Last but not least, was Fr. Antonello, the parish priest, Mater Dei, who recognized in the late the love and dedication to the youth apostolate. ‘He had a dream for the youths in the parish.’
Finally, the regional superior Fr. Rinaldo spoke in the name of the entire Consolata missionary family and in a special way for those working in Congo. He later invited mamma Maria, the mother of the late Fr. François, who courageously gave her last words on this sad day. She sincerely thanked the Consolata missionaries for the support they have accorded them as a family during this hard moment and for their son when he was still alive. She promised to remain a mother to all the Consolata missionaries.
The final procession to the cemetery begun at 12.03 pm. It took us some 40 minutes to reach the cemetery; the final resting place of the body of our dear brother. At exactly 1.00 pm, the body was lowered into the grave and later the flowers covered all over the brown casket. Each person gave the late a flower or a bunch of it. We then all left in silent, many minds meditating on the mystery of life. May he rest in peace.
(this article is published in the site of the Consolata Missionaries)
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