In Gitega, a vehicle for a parish run by Monfortians
Burundi is one of the smallest—but most densely populated (roughly 310 to 422 inhabitants per square foot)—countries in Africa. It has an area of just under 28,000 km² and a population of almost 12 million people. In 2023, the country is considered to be the poorest in the world and one that has been plagued with outbreaks of genocide and a civil war that lasted from 1993 to 2005. To this day, the political situation in this Central African country remains unstable and there is a danger of a new escalation of violence at any time.
The Catholic Church in Burundi is relatively young. The earliest missionaries only arrived here around 125 years ago, and sadly, were killed. Today, however, around 60% of the population is Catholic, and the good news is that many of the faithful are deeply religious and there are numerous vocations to the priesthood and religious life. As a result, Burundi is even able to send missionaries to other countries less richly blessed with vocations. Also impressive is the fact that, despite their poverty, the faithful demonstrate great commitment and an admirable spirit of sacrifice – for example in working to ensure that their local parish can build a church of its own.
Healing and reconciliation
The Catholic Church also plays a crucial role in promoting reconciliation within society and healing the wounds of the past in hopes of building a peaceful future for the country. This is a principal aim of the Montfort Missionaries in the parish of Bwoga-Chioggia, on the outskirts of the capital Gitega, which not only covers three of the slum areas around the city but also includes 38 villages in the surrounding countryside. Father Jean-Trésor Bafengo, the parish priest, and his fellow missionaries want to strengthen the commitment to peace and reconciliation and help the people to build “bridges of peace.” Indeed, never again do they wish to see outbreaks of hatred and violence that have sadly too often occurred in the past.
Father Jean-Trésor is particularly concerned for the young people and tells us: “The majority of the population are young, but many young boys and girls cannot even attend school, owing to the extreme poverty of their families and the consequences of the civil war and genocide. So they just sit around at home, feeling frustrated. They have nothing to do, and no one cares about them, and so they often get drawn into a life of violence. We believe that we can help them to become builders of peace by being there for them and helping them to strive for reconciliation, so that they can start to follow the logic of reconciliation that will redound to the honour of the Church and of this country.” To achieve this, however, there is a need to train up group leaders and organize a variety of activities and meetings.
To enable the priests to regularly visit the localities within the parish – and not only for the reconciliation program but also in order to administer the sacraments – the Montfort Missionaries urgently need a vehicle. It has thus far been extremely difficult for them to travel to where they are needed. We have promised them $33,534.
