Jo Tok Chuma!







There is this old woman; let’s call her Magdalene, who has an intrinsic belief that every prayer she says has its relevant position in the church. For instance, during the Mass, at the time of the entrance antiphon up until the end of the Liturgy of the Word, she strategically put herself in the sixth pew. This is to ensure that she follows well the sermon which will culminate with her participation in the prayer of the faithful.

 

When the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins, she moves towards the western direction, where the portrait of Blessed Virgin Mary is put. It is from here that she actively participates in prayer. She will be once again noticed moving around towards the eastern side during the sign of peace and by the time for communion she will have reached the communion site.

Well, she ‘competes’ the priest in mobility, for the latter is the only faithful who is canonically allowed to make moves during the Eucharistic celebration. He moves from the pulpit to his seat, from the seat to the altar, from the altar to the Tabernacle and lastly to distribute the Holy Communion. And as a matter of fact, I have never seen Magdalene receive Holy Communion from any lay-distributor. She always opts for the clergy. This might be the reason why she always makes it to the Parish despite her old age. She is indeed one of the many Christians spotted to be active during the Eucharistic celebration.

 

There is also this lot of the faithful who are active. Theirs is an obligation to usher in and ensure the well being of the congregation. They have to ensure that everyone is comfortable during prayer session, and collect the offertory at appointed time. In some places they have St. John Bosco as their patron saint while in others they are merely known as Church Directors. Of course they direct the church hence have to be fully awake just in case there is loss of direction.

Deeply imbued with the spirit of the Liturgy forms another very active lot in the Mass, without which many people would find Mass a boring exchange of hallowed words and actions. This is the sacred choir. 

Ever imagined the Eucharistic celebration devoid of singing? At least the entrance and the exit hymns. St. Augustine had it right when he subscribed to singing as a twofold prayer. Attend Mass which there is no singing and immediately notice the participants and the presiding minister. They might be of the same age, the pre-Vatican II by-products.

Yet there is this interesting lot in the community of the laity during Mass. Yes they literally attend Mass and do not participate. They get tired walking up to the middle of the church let alone up to the front pews even if the church is neither half full nor empty. They are the back benchers. I branded them jo tok chuma (behind bars folks). This is because at Kibuye Parish, in the Archdiocese of Kisumu, where I grew up, there is the bar that demarcates just before the main church’s door. After this demarcation there are few pews. Just as the perimeter bar suggests, they seem to be cut off from the rest of the faithful. They neither respond to the beautiful words of the liturgy nor sing to the beautiful tunes of the famous choruses.

 

Most of these faithful never finish the Mass. Immediately after receiving the Communion they exit. Their Mass ends with the consummation of the body and blood of Christ. Most of them have no time for the announcements and the final blessings. It is none of their business!

Funnily, this lot almost behaves in the same manner at least in the Churches I have been to for prayers. This tok-chuma spirituality seems to be universal. At a particular point I was considered a persona non granta in this spirituality. I found myself doing the contrary in the occasions I have joined them.

(This article was published in the Seed Magazine)

October: Our Mother's month





Most of our characters have their origin from our childhood experiences, and the latter has the mother or female guardian as the sole director.

It is an indubitable fact that mothers play a great role in our development both spiritually and physically (human and social life). They deserve a Mother's Month not just Mothers Day. Not that I am a female chauvinist but this is attested by most psychologists whose field is in human psychological development and how the trumpets blast on the Mother's Day in various radio stations, television channels, facsimiles, internet sites for mothers, poems, songs, sms's, cards and even promotions to make the participants' mothers famous, the list is endless. All these are some sort of presents to the mothers.

 It is not the Mother's Day right here, rather the month of the Rosary.

A month on which the Church calls upon us to set aside for the reflection on the Rosary and pray through and with Mary by reciting the holy Rosary.

Rosaries come in different shapes and sizes. But just a moment, what comes in your mind when Rosary is mentioned or when you see it hanging on the neck or in the car, at home next to a beloved portrait, on the wrist, on the finger, or in your pocket?

Whenever I think of or see a holy Rosary, immediately I think of Mary, the mother of God, known by the Greeks as theotokos, and our mother. And I guess you too think in the same line with me, hence not a natural mistake.

As a mother, therefore, she deserves the attention given to all mothers on the Mother's Day. But how many dedicated Christians remembered this? Good enough, as a woman blessed among women, she is attended to daily and now, in a special way in the month of the holy Rosary, October.

The Rosary has a historical background that I leave for the theologians and any Christian who is interested and inspired to dig deep into the Marian archives to be updated. Though that which should not escape a good Christian, is the fact that it is one of the pillars that has made the Church to be what it is today, strong amidst numerous challenges of the time.

The Rosary has out done the taste of time. Hence, the necessary need for the continuous recitation of the rosary not only in this month but also throughout the time.

It is not the case that we are Mariolators, worshippers of Mary, rather we respond to the desires of Jesus Christ on the cross when He told the disciple he loved most, "behold your mother" (cf. Jn. 19: 25-27). Jesus willed that his mother become our mother also; hence we become adopted sons and daughters of the Father. With this, Christ finished His mission, which could not have finished if he had not shared with us His mother.

As our mother, what sort of gift should we offer her?

The best gift for our mother Mary is to unite with her in the prayer of the Rosary during this month of the Rosary. In this union, we shall also honour her as a mother just as the Decalogue call us to 'honour your father and mother.' As we share in the mysteries of the rosary, we contemplate on our life by configuring it to the life of Christ in the rosary.

Mothers share in the feelings of their offspring. Mary too, as a mother, shares in the feelings, dangers and difficulties of the Church; and as she presented the baby Jesus to the Father in the temple, she too presents the Church to the Lord in the heavenly glory each time we pray with her the holy Rosary.

Being a traditional prayer, we have an obligation of making the recitation of the Rosary a living prayer since Christ wants it. He did this by giving us His mother, and from that day the disciple took her home to live with her, the scriptures tell us. We too must take her with us, live with her as a mother and let her direct our lives as mothers do to their children. Have a blessed time with her in this month of the Rosary.

During my three month holiday

the article is on the way...

St. John Bosco in Congo

some of the youth infront of the mortal remains of St John Bosco

 

The mortal remains of St John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Family is in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

 

The pilgrimage with the relics of St. John Bosco, which began on 31 January 2009 during the occasion of the 150^thAnniversary of the foundation of the Salesian congregation, reached Kinshasa, the Capital of DRC on 16^th March 2012.

 

There was a vigil fully animated by the youths of various groups sharing the spirituality of St. John Bosco. The Apostolic Nuncio celebrated the vigil mass.

 

The following day, the relic made a stop at the Cathedral Notre Dame du Congo where flocks of Christians came for various religious instructions and veneration.

 

This pilgrimage is to cover 130 countries where the Salesians evangelize the youth and the poor.

 

It is a spiritual preparation for the bicentenary celebration of the birth of St. John Bosco which is to be celebrated in 2015. He was born in Castelnuovo d’Asti, Piedmont, Italy on 16^th August 1815 and died in Turin, Italy on January 31, 1888.

 

The mortal remains of Don Bosco were exhumed in 1929 for his beatification and canonization. His mortal remains are enclosed in a wax replica of his body. This wax replica is laid in large glass weighing 820 kg. It is carried in a light truck specially made for it from one city to another.

 

From Kinshasa, the next stop will be Lumbubashi, the second biggest city of DRC, where the Salesian Family run various pastoral centers for the youth and the poor.

 

During these pilgrimages, the Salesians offer catechetical instructions on veneration of saints and other religious and doctrinal teachings of the Church.

 

Relics do not contain magical powers but are objects (mortal remains of the saints or the things used by the saint e.g. cloth) of religious veneration. During their earthly life, the saints whom we venerate today drew people closer to God. Their relics continue to inspire individuals, for they now enjoy fuller communion with God in heaven.

 

St. Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco (his Italian name) is the patron saint of the youth, editors, publishers and printers. His feast day is January 31.

 

This visit of St. John Bosco to RDC runs from 16^th – 20^th Match 2012.

Trois étapes de discernement vocationnel

« Si vous êtes ce que vous devez être, vous mettrez le feu au monde entier ! »

Ste Catherine de Sienne

Le deuxième jour de ce nouvel an, j’ai rendu une visite à Matty, un ami qui habite à Gombe. Il m’a présenté son petit frère, Tim,  qui était accompagné par sa fiancée. Naturellement, nous nous somme retrouvés en train de causer sur beaucoup de chose, mais rien en spécifique.  Mais ce qui m’a beaucoup marqué était la conception de Tim à propos de différents styles de vie.

Tim tient que la vie telle qu’elle est, nous présente tant d’occasions pour s’épanouir dans les bons choix que nous faisons chaque nouvel an. Et que ces choix peuvent être influencés par la société ou la culture de ce jour. J’ai tout de suite pensé aux Kulunas sur les routes, s’ils eux aussi font des bons choix…et comment est-ce qu’on peut arriver à faire objectivement un bon choix. Pour lui, Tim, il veut bien réussir à ses études supérieures et après se marier.

Aujourd’hui, il y a différents mouvements chez les jeunes gens par rapports à ce qu’ils veulent faire avec leur vie. D’une part, il y a parmi eux, ceux qui veulent prendre la main d’une autre personne en mariage. D’autre part, il y a ceux qui choisissent la vie célibataire soit avec un engagement spirituel, les conseils évangéliques, ou soit sans aucun engagement quelconque. Dans tout cela, on veut se donner à un but fondamental, celui d’être heureux ou heureuse.

Il n’est pas tout à fait facile d’arriver à faire un bon choix dans la vie. Il faut donc un discernement exceptionnel et guidé spirituellement.

Voici le thème de cette 49^eme  journée mondiale de prière pour les vocations : les vocations ; don de l’amour de Dieu. Cette journée sera célébrée le 29 Avril 2012, le quatrième dimanche de Pâques et  un jour avant la fête de Notre Dame d’Afrique.

Dans son message pour ce jour, le Pape Benoit XVI énumère trois piliers pour faire grandir la vocation à savoir la prière, l’écoute de la Parole de Dieu et les Sacrements notamment l’Eucharistie, qui est le sommet de tous nos cultes.

En dehors de ce message du Pape, réfléchissons un peu. Comment est-ce que les sacrements peuvent nous aider à comprendre le cheminement vocationnel ? Ou bien, comment les deux,  les sacrements surtout les sacrements de l’initiation chrétiennes à savoir le Baptême, la Confirmation et l’Eucharistie, et la vocation sont lié ou proche de l’un à l’autre ?

C’est par la vocation et les sacrements que l’Eglise actualise son essence. Par sa nature, l’Eglise est fondée pour le salut de peuple. C'est-à-dire pour l’annonce de la Bonne Nouvelle qui est le Christ, Jésus ressuscité.

Pour accomplir ce dessein de salut, Dieu avait, a et aura besoin de la libre participation de l’homme et de la femme. Voilà pour quoi Il l’appelle et l’envoie faire Sa volonté.  De leur part, l’homme et la femme doivent donner une réponse consciente de foi et d’obéissance qu’exige un discernement profond.

Nous voici parvenu maintenant dans des étapes vocationnelles qui se cachent aussi bien dans les sacrements d’initiation. Ils peuvent nous aider à bien discerner un appel de Dieu.

Primo, il s’agit d’une double action de « venir » et de « voir ». Dans le Baptême nous sommes initiés à une vie chrétienne. Autrement, nous sommes incorporés à la fraternité de l’Eglise en tant que filles et fils de Dieu. L’incorporation exige une invitation spéciale à prendre part et à être un membre d’une communauté de croyantes.

Jésus après avoir reçu le baptême chez Jean Baptiste a demandé deux disciples de Jean qui le suivaient, « Que cherchez-vous ? » et à leur réponse, Jésus leurs invita, « venez et voyez ». (cf. Jn 1, 38-39)

Cette première étape nous montre comment Jésus en appelant ses disciples, nous invite à nous approcher de Lui et voir où il demeure.

Normalement, pendant la période de discernement, on donne les candidats aux vies sacrées un moment pour qu’ils aillent et voient si vraiment ils peuvent la vivre. Pour les religieux, c’est le postulat et d’autre temps avant de noviciat. Les couples au mariage se donnent également quelque moment pour qu’ils se connaissent mieux avant de procéder à d’autres engagements.

La deuxième étape est une double action de « partager » et de « manger ». Disons une étape de repas. Quand on a déjà invité, on doit donner ce qu’on a à celui qui a respecté l’invitation. Pendant et surtout la formation de base, on est appelé à « manger » et à « consommer » l’esprit ou le charisme de Jésus qui nous appelle et invite à Sa suite. Dans toutes les vocations, c’est le moment d’approfondir et d’éclairer son propre intention.

La vocation est une affaire personnelle qui a aussi une dimension communautaire. Cette étape de repas montre clairement cette dimension communautaire de la vocation. Un phénomène qui nous renvoie au sacrement de l’Eucharistie. Au repas pascal, Jésus entouré de Douze, a pris le pain et dit, « Prenez, mangez, ceci est mon corps » (cf. Mt. 26, 26-29)

Dans la vie chrétienne, qui est une vocation aussi, la célébration eucharistique, où nous sommes nourris de la Parole et du corps et du sang de Jésus, nous donne la grâce nécessaire que nous avons besoin pour notre salut. Elle est le moment opportun d’être rassasié par le Christ et enraciné à Lui.

Quant à la troisième étape, il est question d’une seule et culminante action, celle d’  « aller ». Après avoir partagé le repas pascal, Jésus ordonna à ces onze disciples, « Allez donc, de toutes les nations faite de disciples, les baptisant au nom du Père et du Fils et du Saint Esprit » (Mt. 28,19) Voilà une dimension missionnaire de toutes les vocations. Par cette envoie, nous sommes tous de missionnaires.

Quand on est déjà bien formé et informé, c’est alors qu’on est à mesure d’aller enseigner aux autres ce qu’on a reçu au près d’un Maître. C’est justement cela ce que les onze vont faire. Ils vont répandre la Bonne Nouvelle, mais avec la force d’en haut et pas leur propres forces. C'est-à-dire, par la guide de l’Esprit qui donne la force et le courage, ils vont subir et tenir toutes les souffrances d’évangélisation, même y compris la persécution sanglante.

Le sacrement de Confirmation nous donne l’Esprit d’aller jusqu’au bout en témoignant les merveilles de Seigneur en tant que marié ou célibataire religieux ou religieuse.  Il vient éclairer tout ce qu’on a appris chez le Maître après l’avoir nous invité et nous partagé son charisme afin que l’événement du salut achève son but. Comme l’œil est la lampe du corps (Mt. 6, 22), les sacrements sont la lampe des vocations. N’oublions pas de prier pour tous les jeunes gens qui cherchent le bonheur dans leur vies afin qu’ils le trouvent en Christ.

 

(Cet article a été publié dans la Nouvelle Congo, une revue de Missionnaires de la Consolata, Congo)

An Eye Opener on My Rosary

Just few days after his election to the papacy, Pope John Paul II, now Blessed John Paul II, on 29^th October 1978, during the month of the Holy Rosary, admitted openly that; “The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous one!”

The prayer of the Rosary is purely Christ-centered with in-depth outlines of the faith-enriching Gospel message. In it, the most important part of our history of salvation is reveled; from the incarnation of the Word to His passion, death and resurrection, up to His ascension into heavenly glory.

It is also a prayer that all believers find their place. Men and women, young and old, mighty and weak, clergy and lay, all are chained and linked together to God, just as its beads are linked to each other forming a unity.

In the Seed Magazine, December 2011, vol. 23, n° 12, issue 242, which reached me many days  after its publication, I read with a lot of delight in my heart, the insert Youth Alive entitled My Rosary by Gwendo Joy. I was extremely delighted because of two factors:

First, since I was reading it on my birthday, I found myself considering it as a birthday gift to my spiritual sojourn. It was a gift to help me simplify my prayers. An eye opener!

Second, I was delighted because it was great seeing a simple Christian creating her own way of praying this ‘difficult’ prayer, which makes a lot of sense to her.

It is in this delightful mood that I wish to outline my humble critiques to the author of My Prayer.

My former professor of Theodicy, the late Rev. Fr. Klinger, a Benedictine monk, once confessed to us, his dear students, of his difficulties in finishing the whole rosary. I was extremely shocked and even felt scandalized, for what else could the monks be doing in the monastery apart from praying?

In fact, he was frank with us and told us his personal way of reciting this prayer.  For him, it was one Hail Mary, and I mean one, said meditatively and in a contemplating position to a point that he would at times feel that those words were being proclaimed not by himself but by the angel Gabriel himself.

This is just to show how this pray could seem cumbersome, but if simplified can bring transformation in one’s spiritual life.

As Christians, while simplifying this special and catholic prayer, it is important to understand the role of Mary in our spiritual sojourn. Mary, the mother of God was incorporated by God in the project of saving humankind.  After human beings fell into original sin, which is an obstacle that cropped in between them (Adam and Eve) and God, hence their great need for salvation, God promised them salvation. (cf. Gen. 3:15).

For this promise to be achieved, something extraordinarily great had to happen.

St. Paul tells us clearly of this great event, “…God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law…” (cf. Gal. 4:4). This woman is Mary.

It is this role of being the channel through which God’s saving grace would reach mankind that Mary is proclaimed blessedness by all generation, (cf. Lk. 1:48), and to which the angel Gabriel would proclaim, “Hail favoured one!” (cf. Lk. 1:28).

In realizing and proclaiming the blessedness of Mary, we should not risk falling into adoring her as goddess. Instead, as she did while reciting the Magnificat in glorifying the Lord who did wonders in her life, in the Rosary, together with her, we should praise God who does wonders in our lives.

With this marian approach, I am tongue-tied reading the eighth Hail Mary of Gwendo. It goes, “Mother of God, when I look at my fingers, they are all different, just like you created us differently…”

Mary mother of God is and will always remain a creature of God like you and me. She was created by God. As a creature, she was limited in space and time. She never created human beings and was not present at the creation time. Her son, Jesus, was present but not her. The act of creation is God’s solemn act. As human beings, we only secondarily participates in this work that God Himself is the Beginner.

With Gwendo’s My Rosary I still find it interesting. It is a magnificent way of meditating the mysteries that surrounds us with Mary. Have a wonderful contemplation with Mary mother of God guiding us through our earthly sojourn.

Outside Kenya, for a mission!

The Démocratique République du Congo best known by its initials as DRC is one of the 17 African nations that have just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of independence. The year 2010 was known as L’année du Cinqantenaire (centenary year) by its habitants.  The president, Mr. Joseph Kabila, in his speech during this auspicious jubilee celebration on the 30^th June, 2010, thanked sincerely, among other personalities, countries and organizations, a branch of the United Nations, for having been on their side as a country during the difficult historical moments.

The triple mandate

Growing up, the term mission had an ecclesiastical connotation. It meant the church, the parish, the place we used to frequent every Sunday for prayers. Besides, the road that passes next to St. Teresa’s Cathedral, Kisumu, is known as the mission road. Today this term has a wider connotation. Mission is no longer Church related, rather it also applies to the peace keeping activities carried out by the United Nations organization in the tragedy stricken areas.

The original peace keeping force in DRC was known as United Nations Organizations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monuc). It carried that name until the end of its mandate on 1^st July, 2010, just 24 hours after the centenary celebrations. Thereafter it was renamed as United Nations Organizations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco) reflecting the new face of Congo; political stability, social development and security and peaceful environment.

The Lusaka Ceasefire signed in July 1999 among six regional countries that border Congo, DRC inclusive, saw the establishment of Monuc in DRC, which, by then, had triple mandate: the observation of Ceasefire, disengagement of forces and maintenance of liason with all parties to the Ceasefire Agreement.

At the service of the mission

Eleven years down the line, among the courageous men and women consolidating peace, protecting the civilians, facilitating humanitarian assistance and ensuring proper process of stabilization of DRC are sons and daughters of the Kenyan soil.

Having nurtured a dream of some day working outside Kenya, *Miss Mary Clara Wamboi, who hails from Central Province, Kiandhini village, is today happily making this dream a reality. She read a lot of adventurous literatures as a teenager and now making those adventures herself. She is proud to have been in DRC since 2003 and enjoys the mission.

On the other hand, *Mr. David Paul Ndisi, having been in DRC for only three years feels satisfied for having put into practice all the tactics he had acquired as a young scout during his school-going years. “Jesus accomplished all that he came to do on earth in just three years. Three was significant and to me, am contented for the services I have rendered to humanity through the people of Congo and will always be happy.” He ecstatically affirmed.

Unlike Miss Wamboi who was open minded and was even ready to spend nights in tents as a marshal despite being in deep shock as she received her destination to Kisangani one of the regions in DRC, Mr. Ndisi, a father of five, from Chuda in Bungoma, had chains of sleepless nights to come to terms with the new work destination. This was his first assignment as a UN civilian and outside Kenya. After thorough reflections, he took up the task by both hands thanks to his training as a scout.  

Life lived amidst several challenges

Married and with three kids, *Mr. Blastos Olang’ Metto, from Ndhiwa in south Nyanza, cannot play a direct role of parenting his two daughters and his son. This is because he is not allowed to have his family in the mission. Luckily with the present communication technology, he is able to speak with each member of his family quiet often.  Despite the cost incurred, he feels it necessary to keep in touch so as not to loose both the family bond and the track of his family’s development.

In this aspect, *Mrs. Ann Moraa Ouma, from Nyaribari in Kisii and married to a Luo man, admits that this is the real challenge. Her two kids always wonder and ask where mummy lives, for the mothers is always the centre of the child’s world. “With their father alone, my kids miss the motherly touch in their lives and I can’t do anything to substitute it with my job! It’s a sacrifice for their good and the good of others.  Fortunately, their father is there to check on their up keep, homework, health and everything a mother should do.”

Mr. Ndisi admits that families with only one parent present throughout and the other having a quasi-domicile in the family is not a bed of roses for the children. Once one figure is missing only to re-appear for just three weeks after three or four months away in the missions depending on the time for holidays, can confuse the children. He or she might come with other principles that the other had rejected and so both the parents must always dialogue on who and how to form their kids. Mr. Olang’ reveals that at times the kids might think that they are not loved and that the parent prefers the job to them, hence they develop low self esteem or even hate towards the ‘missing’ parent.

*Miss Jacinta Wanja tells of having missed several family gatherings, national ceremonies, weddings, burials etc, which required her presence. The most recent were the first ever Mashujaa Day and the burial of her grandmother who nurtured her as a mother since latter passed on while she was still an infant! As for the national functions, she has a remedy. She makes sure that she follows every bit from the Dstv. Its maintenance costs her much but it is worth it. She keeps abreast with the national politics and social developments of her mother country.

Far away in Bunia, the border of DRC and Sudan, *Mr. Kipng’eno arap Ng’etich, tells of having difficulties in forming the inmates as well as the community to love each other as the major way of upholding peace and stability in the society. “It’s not easy educating the society that the prisoners of war and of other crimes need equally to be loved and welcomed into the community.” He admits that it is a hard nut to crack to integrate the inmates to be useful persons in the society.

Discovering the Church

Catholicism is strongly rooted in the DRC. Two realities are a witness to this: first, the Zairean rite of celebrating the Mass; and secondly, the two children of the DRC on the way to sainthood: Blessed Marie-Clementine Anoalite Nengapeta and Blessed Isidore Bakanja. Soon or later, the Mother Church will proclaim them the saints in the Catholic Church.

The Zairean rite, usually celebrated in Lingala, one of the local languages, for DRC is the home of inculturation, would not be easy to follow and fully participate in if one has no notion of the local language or if not interested in learning the language. This rite is loved by most of the locals and it is in this respect that few parishes would have masses in other different languages, for instance, English. There are few parishes that have masses in English. Such include St. Ann, St. Joseph, and St. Luc. The latter, known as St. Catherine Drexel English community, is animated by the Consolata Missionaries. Its principle priest, Fr. Symphorien Fumwasendji, is a Congolais who did his theological studies in Tangaza, Kenya.

Before knowing these English communities, Miss. Wamboi almost lost her faith as a Catholic Christian. At times she could attend either the Lingala or French Mass and come out frustrated for not having fully followed it especially the liturgy of the Word and the Sunday sermon. Luckily with the aid of the Roman Sunday Missal, which she later bought from Kenya, she was able to follow the Sunday readings and have her prayers at her house.

“How then did you know of the St. Catherine Drexel community?” I popped in the question. “It was a life time miracle,” was the response. One Sunday morning, she went to Church just for the sake of it and while there, she saw a gentleman in the Kenyan military combat. This provoked her to inquire whereabouts of this man. The light chat they had after the celebration revealed to her that indeed he was a Kenyan soldier on a mission, and a catholic for that matter. He was very well conversant with the Kinshasa city and even proposed to Miss Wamboi some parishes where she could have the religious services, Mass and sacrament of Reconciliation celebrated in English. “This was providential, for since then I have not only increased my faith, but have also known more about the Church, Consolata Missionaries and other very good Christians,” she concluded.

On the other hand, Mr. Ndisi, a member of the Friends Church always feels at home praying with the members of St. Catherine Drexel. At a glance, one might presume that he is a catholic faithful. This is the spirit of ecumenism put into practice. According to him, it is always a moment of sharing the spiritual gifts and life that God has given us as Christians. “This is the unity that you Catholics pray for always!” he intoned. Now, since he shares in the spiritual activities and unfathomable riches of Christ and the Catholic Church, he dedicates some moments to learn the Church’s doctrines and who knows, he might someday resort to full catechetical instructions, for he is in the process of discovering the Church.

Various motivations

Miss Wamboi admits that there is no much joy as seeing a country once torn apart picking up from war. Having witnessed an attempted coup of its kind in the past, and lived in total fear of the gunshots, today she may go about her business as if this historical fact never took place. The prayer for peace and reconciliation in the world finds meaning in her daily life experience. This peaceful society gives her more hope that the future is bright ahead in this country.

For Mrs. Moraa, the fact that her family back home is capable of letting her work away from them is itself a motivation, a source from where she gets her daily strength to keep the good work in the mission. “I miss them occasionally and the thought of them letting me work here gives me extra ordinary powers!”

On the other hand Mr. Kipng’eno’s extra ordinary powers to continue in the mission springs from the results of his work. “Seeing the inhabitants drop down the arms and seek dialogue motivates me more!” He relates this dialogue for peace with that which took place in Kenya after the 2007 post polls chaos. “It is joyful making people understand the price of peace especially after an experience of war!”

“I can’t count the number of friends I have made since I stepped here in DRC!” said Jacinta. “Friends are gifts to each of us” she continued. “And for me, having friends who are natives is just a great motivation that keeps me going and living among them!” she concluded.

 (*not real names for publication's ethics)

Banganga Nzambe ya Sika.

Au début de ce mois de février, tous les religieux et toutes les religieuses ont rassemblés à la Cathédral Notre Dame du Congo à Kinshasa pour deux raisons principales. Primo, c’était une célébration pour clôturer à la fois les conférences des Supérieurs majeurs et le cinquantenaire d’ASUMA (Assemblé des Supérieurs Majeurs) et de l’USUMA (Union des  Supérieures Majeures).  Secundo, le même 2 février, le jour auquel  l’Eglise universelle fête la présentation du Seigneur au Temple,  était aussi la fête de tous les religieux et toutes les religieuses. Car on célébrait la Journée mondiale de la Vie Consacrée.

Seize jours après, ils ont eu un autre moment ensemble. Cette fois-ci,  il s’agissait d’une élévation de huit religieux parmi eux au sacrement de l’Ordres. Il y avait 4 candidats au diaconat et 4 au sacerdotal.

Parmi les 4 diacres qui ont été ordonné prêtres, il y avait deux missionnaires de la Consolata, à savoir Simon MBALA MIZINGU qui a fait sa théologie ici au Congo et son stage au Séminaire  Antonio Barbero et Toussaint TWITE MUKOTA qui a étudié sa théologie à Rome.

Très tôt du matin de 19 février, la communauté du Théologat Joseph Allamano quitta Macampagne pour la Paroisse Sainte Marie Auxiliatrice de Masina, Petro-Congo, le lieu propice pour la célébration de l’ordination.

La messe s’est débutée à 10h 03, présidée par Son Excellence Mgr. Edouard KISONGA, Evêque auxiliaire de l’Archidiocèse de Kinshasa. Il y avait aussi la présence de Mgr. Timothée BODIKA MANSIYIA, évêque auxiliaire nommé de Kinshasa.

Dans son homélie, Mgr. KISONGA a énuméré les rôles de diacres et des prêtres dans l’Eglise communauté des croyants. Il a cité entre autre que le diacre, en tant qu’un ministre ordonné, est au service de l’évêque et des prêtres à l’autel. Il peut également conduire la communauté à l’absence d’un prêtre à la prière de la bénédiction d’un mariage et au partage de la Parole de Dieu. Il peut aussi amener le saint sacrement aux malades (viaticum).

Quant au prêtre, celui-ci est appelé à offrir au Seigneur un sacrifice de l’eucharistie comme le Christ nous l’avons demandé à la veille de sa Passion.

Après la litanie de saints, qui a été chanté solennellement en Lingala en évoquant les noms de saints, l’évêque, un successeur des Apôtres, à 11h 42, a imposé ses mains sur la tête de diacre Toussaint TWITE MUKOTA en lui partageant la grâce et le pouvoir sacerdotal ministériel. Avec ce geste, Toussaint est devenu prêtre à jamais selon Melchisedek.  Après deux minutes, était le tour de diacre Simon MBALA.

A 12h 04, l’évêque a procédé à la prière consécratoire.

A 12h 11, les nouveaux prêtres ont été aidés à vêtir les chasubles pour la première fois dans l’Eglise. Le Père Paul GITONGA MURITHI en tant qu’Animateur de la vocation dans la région du Congo, a aidé le Père Toussaint TWTE. Tandis que le Père Symphorien FUMWASENDJI en tant que Supérieur majeur de la région et l’ancien formateur du Père Simon MBALA a aidé celui-ci. Il a donc achevé son travail qu’il avait commencé quand il était encore le recteur de nouveau prêtre. 

La messe a pris fin à 14h 13 après quelques mots de remerciements de la part de nouveaux ordonnés (banganga Nzambe ya sika) et du président de l’ASUMA.

Consacrated Life

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...on Saul's transformation to Paul. Keep the space.