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 ACN Success Story – Zambia

03.07.2019 in ACN BENEFACTORS, ACN Canada, ACN PROJECTS, Project of the Week

ACN Success Story – Zambia

Renovation of the Saint Augustine’s Seminary

 

The landlocked state of Zambia in southern Africa is one of the more stable countries on the continent. Christians make up the overwhelming majority (90%) of its population of around 17 million people. However, only around one fifth of the population are Catholics, the majority belonging to a range of different Protestant communities.

The Catholic Church here is facing major challenges. In the past the life of the Church was directed above all by foreign missionaries, able to obtain support from their home countries. But today, it is the native African bishops and priests who are increasingly shouldering the responsibility.

Ensuring a pastoral presence and countering illusions

In many places the infrastructure is poor, the parishes cover vast areas and the Catholic faithful often widely scattered, therefore many more priests are needed to minister to them. At the same time, sectarian groups are very active in proselytizing, drawing away many of the faithful with simplistic messages of salvation and easy promises of health, wealth and material success, they successfully entice many people, including Catholics. They are successful above all where, owing to a lack of financial means and the vast distances, the pastoral outreach of the Church is not intensive enough to make people feel truly rooted and at home in the Catholic Church.

What the Church in Zambia needs above all, is more priests. But in order to train these priests, the appropriate infrastructure and facilities have to be available. In the Saint Augustine‘s Seminary in Kabwe almost 90 young men are training for the priesthood. But the seminary building, which dates back to the 1950s, had for some years now been in urgent need of renovation. There were cracks in the walls, falling ceiling tiles and roof panels, a hopelessly outdated plumbing system… All these things were making life here difficult and in some cases even dangerous. The toilet and sanitary facilities also needed urgent repair and renovation.

 

 

Thanks to the help of our generous benefactors, ACN was able to contribute $22,350.  The bathroom facilities were then properly refurbished and the rusting pipework replaced. The seminarians are delighted with the results and send their heartfelt thanks to all who have helped.


Are you inspired by this project? To give and make another similar project a success – click above and select: Project of the Week.

ACN Interview – ACN Head of section sheds light on the DRC, Africa

06.06.2019 in ACN PRESS, ACN PROJECTS, Adapted by Amanda Bridget Griffin, Africa, By Maria Lozano, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Religious freedom

DRC: “What ACN offers, no other organization does”

On her return from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she visited the Catholic dioceses of the Kasai region, Christine du Coudray, ACN’s section head for this country, reported on the situation in the region and gave her impressions.

 Interview conducted by Maria Lozano, ACN International

Published to web – June 6, 2019

 

Can you give us a description of the overall situation in the country?

This was the first time I had visited the Kasai region of this immense country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, four times the size of France in area. You’re walking on land rich in mineral wealth of every kind – diamonds, gold, minerals of all kinds, petroleum and so forth, yet the infrastructure is wrecked. This particular region, which I spent two weeks travelling, is particularly isolated, and some areas are isolated enclaves. In the country as a whole, the state of the roads, where they exist at all, is catastrophic, but I really found this particular region to be in a state of complete desolation. Historically, this was a privileged region during the time of King Leopold II, the King of the Belgians, who founded the Congo Free State in 1885. He made it his shop window and gave hundreds of hectares of land to the Catholic Church, which he wanted to see established in the country. The Scheutist Fathers (Missionaries of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) in particular were there in numbers, and in every diocese one can still see today the remains of the buildings built by these missionaries. Later the tables were turned, and the region was punished after independence, under the regime of Mobutu and afterwards, suffering from under-investment and generally abandoned to its fate. The structures are falling apart. The Kivu region, on the frontier with Rwanda, which I know better, is suffering from still worse conflicts, but benefits from having more and better structures.

The situation you describe sounds pretty desperate. How were the people you met on the spot living?

What struck me was the situation of complete abandonment on the one hand, yet on the other hand the local people displayed incredible energy in coping with the situation. I’m thinking of the young people who set out, sometimes from Lake Tanganyika, in the extreme east of the DRC, pushing their bicycles with loads of up to 500 kg of goods piled on them which they plan to sell on the other side of the country. They walk for days and nights like this on the potholed roads, helping each other as they go. I met with one of these young men, who explained to me that he had managed to save up enough for a brand-new bicycle, so that he could also become a “bayanda” – that’s the name they give to these young human beasts of burden – and that he was going to have to make still more savings in order to be able to change his wheels, so that he could carry still heavier loads.

After years as leader of the country, Joseph Kabila finally decided not to stand for the presidential elections last December, partly under pressure from the strong opposition, particularly on the part of the Church. How was this change of decision received by the Catholic leadership in the DRC?

Within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference there was some fairly lively discussion, and this body, which had deployed thousands of observers in the polling stations around the country, finally published a communique stating that in its view the election of the new president, Felix Tshisekedi, had not been in accordance with the “truth of the ballot.” They made it clear that they were pleased to see the political transition, but at the same time considered that the candidate declared as the victor was not necessarily the person who had received the most votes according to their own observations. But the most important thing to be borne in mind was that this change in the head of state is a historical one and that the transition took place almost without any violence. In January everyone had expected that the announcement of the results by the electoral commission would trigger an explosion of violence, and observers continue to be surprised that there has not been. That said, Joseph Kabila is still very much a part of the political scene and the present “truce” is a fragile one.

What is the situation of the Catholic Church, both in the country and within this particular region?

In the Kasai region there are eight dioceses, but for the moment there are only seven bishops, because the diocese of Kabinda is in a state of transition. Of these eight dioceses three, in my view, are in a particularly bad way, namely Kabinda, Mweka and Kole. In addition to its own internal problems, the Church here has to make up for the deficiencies of the state and is at the forefront of all the civic activities – social, political, development and so forth. For example, the town of Kabinda suffers from a terrible problem of soil erosion – it is literally in danger of collapsing – and it is the diocese that is leading the efforts to try and resolve this problem.

What particularly impressed you during this trip?

On the one hand it was the fact that a region so rich in diamonds could be suffering such poverty, yet on the other hand it was the commitment of many of the priests, who are doing exceptional work. I’m thinking of Father Apollinaire Cibaka and his association, which he founded and which is doing wonderful work. They have built 62 schools, four orphanages and four health centres, one of which has its own operating theatre and the regular support of Spanish doctors; then the pastoral work with albino children, helping them to be recognized in their own right, the work with abandoned children or street children, with teenage mothers and the programs for the advancement of women. The construction of an enclosure wall around the local prison, so that the prisoners do not have to be locked up 24 hours a day in a dark, unlit building, the work for the protection of the environment, including the planting of 30,000 trees… We helped Abbé Apollinaire to complete his studies for a doctorate in Spain, and on his return we helped him to set up a radio station, which is an authoritative voice in the local society. So despite the isolation, despite the difficulties, the courage and energy of the people are impressive and admirable. That is why a visit like this one is so very important.

And what would you say was the most difficult moment?

I was horrified to learn that, just a few hours after our visit there, the philosophy seminary in Kabwe had been attacked and vandalized. This is an indication of the fragile situation of the local Church.

What kind of aid is ACN supplying to the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Given the many issues requiring assistance, we are liaising closely with the bishops in order to decide with them on their various projects and assess their priorities in light of our resources. The important thing is that, following our visit, we can provide our aid rapidly. We are concentrating our support on the spiritual formation of the priests and on their living conditions, and likewise on the formation of religious sisters and catechists and the implementation of the teachings of Pope St John Paul II in regard to the family.

What kind of aid is ACN giving to the priests and seminarians?

We want to do all we can so that the Church here can have holy priests. A bishop once said to me, “What ACN offers, is something no other organization offers.” The structures vary greatly from one seminary to another. For example, in the philosophy college in Kabwe there are no toilets, no showers, and the septic tank is blocked up. It is hard to leave them in conditions like that. The seminarians only eat meat once a term.

As to the formation of the future priests, which is truly one of the priorities of ACN, we think that this depends on the formation of the teaching staff in the seminaries. And so we are sending entire teams of trainers for a five-week training course in Rome each summer. Quite apart from the fact that they can in this way live the experience of the universal Church, together with other trainers from all over the world, they learn to live, work and pray together there. Their testimonies of the sense of satisfaction and spiritual renewal there make for moving reading.

As far as their living conditions are concerned, we are providing vehicles to enable the local Church to reach the furthest corners of their dioceses. And sometimes even just a moped will help priests to travel much further than they can ever do on foot. We are also helping the priests with Mass stipends and contributing to the renovation and improvement of their presbyteries, which are frequently in a shocking state and which they scarcely dare to show us.

But you have also mentioned the support for religious brothers and sisters. What form does this aid actually take?

We are also very responsive to the needs of the religious, and especially the contemplative religious, who play a major role in the growth of the Church, thanks to their presence and their prayer. I visited the communities of the contemplative Poor Clare sisters in Mbuji-Mayi and Kabinda. They are a French foundation, formerly supported by their mother house, but today totally dependent on their own resources. It is not easy to provide the daily necessities for 40 religious sisters, including the novices and the postulants. They have a vegetable garden, they rear pigs and poultry, they have a host baking workshop. And they also have a guest house, offering a place of silence and prayer that is open to all. Their convent is some way from the town of Mbujimayi, and sometimes the sisters need hospital care. And there is also necessary shopping to be done, for which they need a robust 4×4 vehicle which we are hoping to be able to help them with.

Does ACN have any projects linked to the various internal wars and conflicts within the country?

Ever since 2016 the Kasaï region has been the theatre of tribal violence of exceptional cruelty; even the ethnologists are puzzled by these outbreaks of brutality, which mingle political issues with fetishist pagan beliefs. It is thought that the Kamwina Nsapu movement alone may have claimed between 4,000 and 23,000 victims, leaving some 1.4 million people uprooted and homeless as a result. The conflict suddenly came to an end with the election of the new president in January 2019, who is a son of the region. But the consequences are enormous, whether visible or invisible.

The visible scars can be seen because, for example, the diocesan structures in Luebo became the target – with the Bishop’s house set on fire, the convent of the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the cathedral both burnt out after first being looted, the presbytery destroyed, the novice house and the propaedeutic seminary both burnt to ashes, official buildings ransacked and looted, many people with their throats cut… Since June 2017 the Bishop has had to take refuge in the parish of Ndeseka. We have promised to help rebuild his diocesan chancery and the convent of the sisters, whose role is so important in helping the traumatized population.

The invisible wounds are in people’s hearts, but they are going to need a long-term program of re-integration for people of all ages – some of the killers were children of seven years old, who after just having served Mass beheaded as the people coming out of the church, they were under the effect of drugs! In light of these events of such enormous and still “unexplained” violence, the Catholic Church now needs to reconsider its pastoral approach and work for an in-depth evangelization, so that Christ may truly reign in people’s hearts through the grace of a profound and personal encounter. ACN’s mission is to accompany the local Church in this new evangelization.

ACN Feature Story – Helping women in Cape Verde, Africa

16.05.2019 in ACN Canada, Adapted by Julie Bourbeau and Amanda Griffin, By Robert Lalonde, Journey with ACN

Cape Verde Archipelago – Africa

Moving ahead for women who have nothing left

 

During a trip to the Cape Verde Archipelago in February 2019, Robert Lalonde, a regular Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) contributor, spoke with Sister Romualda Tavares, the provincial leader of the Daughters of the Holy Heart of Mary for Cape Verde, which also includes Guinea-Bissau in its territory. The Cape Verde Archipelago is a small island country located off the northwestern coast of Africa and is comprised of ten islands, nine of which are inhabited.

***

The country includes two dioceses, that of Santiago – the oldest in modern Africa – and that of Mindelo, which serves a population of 535,000 inhabitants, 90% of whom are Christians. Among its many congregations, that of the Daughters of the Holy Heart of Mary (DHHM), in addition to being the oldest Indigenous congregation, is, by far, the one with the greatest number of this country’s communities, with nine.

In addition to helping me appreciate the breathtaking beauty of Santiago Island, my visit with Sister Romualda gave me the opportunity to meet nearly all of the forty sisters who are part of six communities surrounding them on the island: Calcheta (2), Praia – the capital –, Santiago, Somada and Tarrafal . Aspirants, postulants and novices who will ensure the future of the congregation are added to these Sisters, all Cape Verdeans.

During our trip, Sister Romualda shared with me the worries she has for each one of them, while never losing sight of the gratitude she feels towards those who came before her: “I arrived as an aspirant in the Calecheta community in 1976, the first one founded by the DHHM in Cape Verde and was welcomed by Sister Regina, a pioneer who gave us everything. “

This visionary Sister knows that, to bear fruit, it is essential to feed its roots, but also the hope of a better world by giving our heart and soul. Keen on preserving the exemplary unity reigning among her communities, it is with the same enthusiasm that she told me about one and the other. And, while there are many urgent projects to complete, when the time came to favour one, she chose Terrafal, a small town located at the edge of the sea.

The Consequences

A few years ago, the DHHM were planning the construction of a building which would include a social centre and a residence for the Sisters. This centre, whose vocation is to provide daycare for children and to teach women various manual activities and also to get them out of an environment of domestic violence is partially in operation today.
However, while the community has the land, the project to build a residence could not be realized. Thus, the Sisters must live in the centre which is their place of work. This situation becomes problematic for several reasons, some being fundamental, since life in community isn’t lived according to the rules of the constitution by which they are governed.

“As busy as we are with professional or apostolic work that our founder advocated, we preserve, at all costs, strong times of prayer, testament to our strength, vitality and apostolic effectiveness.” This life of prayer is the source from which they draw their apostolic dynamism.
However, by permanently staying at their work location, not only do the Sisters not gain perspective regarding their daily apostolate, but they also do not have a vantage point to experience together the essence of their spirituality. Furthermore, the locales that serve as bedrooms are on the second floor. This represents a major inconvenience for the aging Sisters whose physical health is declining.

 

They must also adapt to a temporary chapel, since it is located in a small room that was supposed to serve as a space for one of the activities related to the center’s vocation. This situation is surely not conducive to quality contemplation.
Lastly, what can we make of the consequences experienced by the people targeted by the project? The rooms used by the Sisters take away from the space for the activities planned for the women. For example, these spaces should instead serve as sewing rooms or spaces for other manual work, or transition places when they are victims of domestic violence. This means that women, deprived of such a space, are currently living in a precarious situation, both physically and psychologically. Consequently, they are prevented from engaging in a wellness process.

In spite of difficulties, the Sisters continue to move ahead with their formidable task. They are the motor for so many changes happening for women who otherwise would feel totally lacking and unprotected. The Sisters of Tarrafal’s courage is anchored in putting into action the values of the Gospel. Thanks be to God!

Aid to the Church in Need sending emergency aid to Mozambique

22.03.2019 in ACN International

Mozambique

Aid to the Church in Need sending aid to Mozambique – “No one heard victims crying for help as they were carried away by floods’ says priest.”

 

A priest in Mozambique has given a graphic account of the devastating impact of the cyclone amid reports that up to 1,000 people have been killed. The port city of Beira, the economic heart of the country has, according to various report, sustained 90% damage, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has announced that it will work with the local Church and provide some emergency aid.

 

Speaking in an interview with ACN, Father Sandro Faedi, apostolic administrator of Tete, described how people cried for help as the flood waters came towards them.

 

Father Faedi told the charity: “Beira is no longer a city. It has been destroyed almost entirely.” He continued: “From the airplanes, the city presents itself as a large lake, from which emerge buildings without ceilings. “You don’t see streets, houses, fields. A lot of people have lost their lives. “Above the houses or above the trees, [many people were] asking for help, which nobody heard. “They were carried away by the fury of the rivers entering the city.”

 

Father Faedi told ACN that the region, which is now mostly under water, has “no telephone, communications and no drinking water,” as 200 km per hour winds, heavy rains and flooded rivers continue to destroy the country’s infrastructure.

With the death toll expecting to rise, he said: “For now, we only pray, ready to give our contribution when the time comes.”

On Wednesday, 20th March, Mozambique starts three days of mourning for the victims. Floods and winds flattened Beira, an ‘economic lung’ of Mozambique, before moving to Malawi and Zimbabwe, affecting more than 2.5 million people.

 

 

Archbishop Claudio Dalla Zuanna of Beira told ACN: “The help from ACN will be useful because it will serve to revive the ecclesial presence by confronting immediate expenses such as the acquisition and distribution of plastic tarpaulins, material, etc. (buckets, glasses, plates, etc.) and the logistics for transport.​

 

“Once again we thank you for your generosity and we will keep you informed.”

 

Text by Citra Abbott, ACN International

Want to give emergency aid to Mozambique? Click above and select: Help for Mozambique.

ACN Feature Story – Bitter memories of time of terror for the priests in Zanzibar

08.03.2019 in ACN, ACN Canada, ACN Feature, ACN International, ACN Interview, Africa, Africa, Aid to the Church in Need Canada, International Catholic Charity Aid to the Church in Need, Journey with ACN, Priests, TANZANIA, Tanzania, Violence against Christians, Zanzibar

Father Damas Mfoi: “There is no recovering from what’s happened, and since the assailants might still be active, we aren’t completely safe. But through all these problems, we continue our interfaith work.”

Father Damas Mfoi is a Catholic priest in the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania. Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim with a small Christian population. Since 2010, Father Mfoi has been a parish priest on the main island of Unguja. In 2012, the otherwise peaceful island community witnessed a series of violent attacks on religious leaders. A Muslim cleric was burned with acid in the fall of that year; a Catholic priest suffered gunshot wounds on Christmas Day 2012, and another was shot to death the following February. At the time, leaflets were distributed to incite violence, some of which bore the stamp of the radical Islamist group Uamsho. However, responsibility for the attacks has yet to be claimed or officially assigned. Father Mfoi tells Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) of the time of terror.

Interview by Anne Kidmose

 

“It was Christmas 2012, and we had planned to go for supper until we heard that Father Ambrose had been shot. Church leaders were in a state of shock, and we could no longer have our shared meal. We were frightened. We rushed to the hospital, but cautiously, as it was announced via leaflets that Church leaders would be killed, and that churches would be destroyed.

 

When we arrived, Father Ambrose was still bleeding, and he couldn’t talk. The following day, he was flown to Dar es Salaam for further treatment. After that, it was our faith that kept us here. People on the mainland called us home, but as Christians committed to the Gospel, we knew from the very beginning that ours was a mission of suffering, and that our lives might be threatened. There was no running away.

 

More leaflets were distributed, saying that Muslims should not allow the sale of alcohol, or the presence of churches. They were published anonymously, but today we know who they are. We didn’t know what would happen, though some said that they were just idle threats. But less than three months later, Father Evaristus Mushi was struck, and tragedy befell us.

 

It was a Sunday morning at 7:15 A.M.; I was saying Mass in a small church. A non-Catholic neighbour came running in; he shouted, “Father Damas, I have something to tell you!” He told me that Father Mushi was dead, the victim of a shooting. Some man shot him that morning, when he was parked in front of his church. I drove to the other churches to say Mass; now that Father Mushi was dead, I had to carry out the mission of Christ alone.

 

News of Father Mushi’s death rippled throughout the community, but that wasn’t the end of it. After we buried him and paid our last respects, a group of women came to our gates, crying. I told them, ‘Don’t cry now. Father Mushi is in heaven.’ One replied, ‘Father, she is not crying over Father Mushi. She is crying because of you.’ The assailants targeted me because I had built too many churches.

 

Father Damas Mfoi at the grave of Father Evaristus Mushi

The next morning, I escaped to the mainland, and a month later, I returned. I thought to myself, ‘There is no abandoning our mission. Jesus wouldn’t want to see us fail. There are Christians still here—why should their leaders run?’

 

Upon my return, I found that the police had set up a command post within my compound, and over the next two years, they patrolled the area because of the tension that lingered. The government took good care of us, but we knew, above all, that God protected us. When I was offered a bodyguard, I refused, believing that the work of Jesus did not require a machine gun; He promised his people that he would be with us until the end of time.

 

Six or seven months passed, and for a while, we thought that the worst was over, though security was still tight. But come September, a priest had acid splashed on him as he was leaving his regular café. He survived the attack but sustained major injuries.

 

There is no recovering from what’s happened, and since the assailants might still be active, we aren’t completely safe. But through all these problems, we continue our interfaith work. We talk to people in the community, and we tell them that we believe God created us all and gave us the freedom to believe in whatever way we were taught. Muslims are taught about Muhammad; Christians are taught about Jesus Christ. We should all do our best to respect that and avoid mixing politics with religion.”

 

In 2017, Aid to the Church in Need supported the Church in Tanzania with projects totaling more than 2,5 Million dollars.

 

On line: March 8, 2019

 

ACN’s Project of the Week – Support for the Catholic the families in Togo

07.03.2019 in ACN BENEFACTORS, ACN Canada, ACN International, ACN PROJECTS, Africa, Aid to the Church in Need Canada, By Eva-Maria Kolmann, Family Apostolate, FORMATION, International Catholic Charity Aid to the Church in Need, Journey with ACN, Togo

The Fédération Africaine d’Action Familiale (FAAF, or African Family Life Federation) is an initiative for the support of healthy families and the protection of life. It involves doctors of various disciplines, theologians, priests, religious and lay pastoral workers. Its aim is to support families and help them to tackle their problems, offering Africa-friendly, family-friendly and pro-life solutions, as opposed to the alien Western-style solutions which many Africans have by now seen through as a “culture of death.” Instead, they seek to promote a “culture of life” of the kind so frequently referred to by the late Pope Saint John Paul II.

In Togo – West Africa –, the programs of the FAAF have been established since 2005. In the diocese of Aneho in the southeast of the country there are five people who have been involved up to now, for example in giving introductory talks and sessions in the parishes, so as to encourage more people to become aware of issues surrounding marriage and the family and train them to be able to accompany families and married couples.

 

The meetings address such questions as, “What is God‘s plan for marriage?” and “What does it mean to be a mother or a father?” Couples are encouraged to talk together and grow in mutual love and respect. Another important aspect is natural family planning, which observes and respects the natural fertility cycle of the woman. Husbands also learn in this way to respect their wives and respect their bodies. The goal is an education in love, which emphasizes the beauty and value of human sexuality and the human body and the importance of fidelity and responsibility and openness to life. It is the best way to counter such evils as abortion and the spread of AIDS. At the same time, the program aims to help and accompany families and married couples in conflict and crisis.

 

There is a great demand for these talks and for personal counselling, and they are hoping to be able to train up 10 more female counsellors. Printed information materials are also needed.
Aid to the Church in Need has promised 17,500 dollars in support of this laudable initiative.

 

Make your donation now to support family education training in Togo. Thank you very much for your generosity.

Are you inspired by this project? To give and make another similar project a success – click above and select: Project of the Week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACN News: Nigerian Archbishop to visit Canada

29.05.2018 in ACN Canada, ACN PRESS, Africa, Aid to the Church in Need Canada, By Mario Bard, Faith, International Catholic Charity Aid to the Church in Need, Interreligious Dialogue, Nigeria, Nigeria, Translated by Amanda Griffin

ACN CANADA

A visit from Msgr. Ignatius Kaigama to Canada
A word of hope amidst violence and persecution

Montreal, Tuesday May 29, 2018 – Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN) will welcome Msgr. Ignatius Kaigama this coming June 8 through to June 14 to Canada.   The archbishop of Jos in Nigeria, capital of the Plateau State and city situated at the very heart of the area regularly suffering the effects of violence that is being described now, less as a struggle over territory and more as the desire to Islamicize regions that are mainly Christian.

“What we are observing in certain regions of Nigeria is alarming,” says Marie-Claude Lalonde, National Director of ACN Canada, situated in Montreal.

“I am anxious to hear Msgr. Kaigama, a long time partner of ours, speak to us about the complex and difficult situation lived by the people in this region, the Christians in particular.”  This region – called the ‘Middle Belt’ because it is situated directly in the middle of the country – divides Nigeria in half: the southern half holding a Christian majority, and to the north, a Muslim majority.

“Some recent reports lead us to believe that there may be an attempt at Islamization of the majority Christian regions situated in this belt.  The coups, the massacres, the displacements and the theft of land leave thousands of people, many of who are Christians, without any resources.”

The city of Jos where Msgr. Kaigama has had a seat since 2000 was the theater of similar affronts in 2004.  Since, this man who currently presides over the country’s Catholic Bishops Conference has become an ardent defender of dialogue between Christians and Muslims.  If religious fundamentalism is one of the main reasons for violence, the Archbishop has no trouble speaking out regularly against a lack of means to fight efficiently against a mounting extremism. There is no educational system worthy of claiming an effective defense of minorities. Moreover, the welfare situation is endemic at over 14%.

Msgr. Kaigama in the Sanctuary of “Lourdes Grotto” Santiago, Chile 2016. Praying for peace in Nigeria

A first visit to Canada

Msgr. Kaigama has expressed that he is “very happy about this first visit to Canada.” And despite some very serious problems in his country, the archbishop also has a great desire to convey “a note of hope” to all the people who will be coming out to hear him speak.  “A Christian must always live in hope, while continuing all the while to live and struggle so that the world becomes a just and human place.”

This recipient of the Golden Dove in 2012 for his work in promoting peace and interreligious harmony will be visiting Vancouver on June 8 where he will have a public engagement at 7:30 at Karol Wojtyla Hall.  June 9, he will be in Toronto where he will preside at Mass held at 5:00pm at Saint Michael’s Cathedral.

The following day, June 12, he will be visiting Saint Clare’s parish at 11:00am, will preside over the Mass, and will be available to meet with people directly afterwards.  On June 11 and 12, he will be in the country’s capital and will celebrate Mass at Ottawa’s Notre-Dame Cathedral.  Once again, the following day, the public is invited to meet him at the Diocesan Centre in Gatineau.

Finally, on June 13 and 14, he will end his visit in Montreal where he will celebrate Mass at at Saint Patrick’s Basilica on June 13 at 5:15pm. The following day, he is inviting the public to come and meet him at the Atwater Library for a conference beginning at 7:30pm.

For more information and for the addresses of the meeting places and parishes, please visit ACN’s website acn-canada.org/kaigama/

Or call:  1-800-585-6333.

*Given by the Italian organization named Istituto di richerche internazionali Archivio disarm.

 

ACN’s Project of the week – Zambia – Mass intentions for five priests

18.04.2018 in ACN Canada, ACN PROJECTS, Africa, Aid to the Church in Need Canada, Journey with ACN, Zambia

Zambia

Mass intentions for five priests in Lusaka

 

The Emmaus Spirituality Center in Lusaka is a formation centre at which all the young men in the country who feel called to the priesthood first undergo a “spiritual year”. This is a preliminary stage, which precedes the seminary proper. Technically known as a propedeutic year, this is a year during which the spiritual foundations are laid for their future path as seminarians and where these young men, after having completed their higher school studies (A-levels), are able to grow into the spiritual life and develop and mature on a human level as well. On average there are 45 young men who embark each year on this first stage of their priestly formation.

 

“Since we know all too well that the Church needs true witnesses of the Gospel, who will in future be soundly trained, well motivated and disciplined priests, the seminary has to fulfil its daily duties”, says Father Justin Mulenga, the priest tasked with responsibility for the seminaries by the bishops’ conference of Zambia. Consequently, the five priests responsible for the formation and spiritual accompaniment of the seminarians at the centre need to focus all their energies on this mission and be available full-time for this task. What this means also, however, is that they do not have any other opportunities of earning an income, in order to support themselves, for example by working in a parish. So they are very much dependent on our Mass intentions. We plan to send them 8 000 dollars in the form of Mass intentions.

 

If you want to give in the form of Mass intentions for so many priests in the world, click below.

In their name, Thank you!

Zambia: 10 Missae Novenea and 15 Missae Gregorianae for 5 priest formators at the Emmaus Spirituality Centre, Lusaka.

 

 

Congo-Brazzaville: The Church is drawing new hope and strength

13.04.2018 in ACN Feature, Africa, Congo, Feature Story, International Catholic Charity Aid to the Church in Need, Journey with ACN, Julie Bourbeau

 Congo-Brazzaville

The Church is drawing new hope and strength to overcome its problems

Having lived for a long time under a communist regime, the Republic of Congo for many years left its Christian faith aside. But today, the Catholic Church in the country is gathering new strength to deal with its problems – which are many – and move forward. Kinga von Poschinger, of the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), heads the project section covering the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville). She recently travelled to the country to gain a first-hand impression of the situation there. She was interviewed by Monica Zorita about the challenges facing the Congolese people and the current and future aid projects of ACN in the country.

 

What were the main reasons for this visit? 

Little boy during sunday mass at St Brigitte, Epéna, diocese of Impfondo, Congo

The visit to Congo-Brazzaville was a priority for ACN for a number of reasons. After having been subjected to a communist regime for many years, its people have, to an extent, abandoned their faith, relegating it to something of secondary importance, so there is a need now to return to it, to revisit it, revive it. The last time ACN visited this country was in 2002. So with this visit and the new projects we are proposing to fund, we are hoping to give new impetus to the Church here and to Congolese society.

What is the situation here at the present time?

Like many other African nations, they are going through a very difficult economic situation. People are living in poverty in countries which could be very rich. The region in which the diocese of Impfondo is situated is in the north of the country, in the midst of the rainforest. Many of the houses here are simply mud huts; it is a region of rivers and high rainfall and the dense forest vegetation makes it difficult to get about, except by boat – or occasionally by car when the road conditions allow. This is the poorest part of the country. On the other hand, in the southern region – and specifically in the diocese of Pointe-Noire – there are extensive oil reserves, but the fall in world prices, combined with corruption, has plunged this African country into a profound economic crisis that has had severe consequences for everyone. Obviously, it is a situation that has brought great uncertainty, but this has been responded to by the optimistic spirit of the Congolese people – especially in the Catholic areas, where there is a strong family spirit and a spirit of ongoing mutual support.

What are the major religions in the Republic of Congo?

Despite the fact that the Republic of Congo is officially a secular state, a majority of the population is in fact Christian, while others follow local animist beliefs and a small minority follows Islam. Within the Christian population, the majority belong to Protestant Pentecostalist groups, while between 30% and 35% are Catholics.

 

Congolese Catholics have a very lively and joyful faith and tend to be somewhat calmer in their forms of worship. This is something very much emphasized by Bishop Bienvenu Manamika Bafouakouahou of the youthful diocese of Dolisie, who reminds his Catholic faithful of the importance of silence and quiet inner prayer.

The Catholic Church in the Republic of Congo currently has nine dioceses, two of which were created in 2013, and is planning to establish more in the next few years, as the country is a vast one and it is very difficult to cover it with so few bishops.

Before building a new rectory, the priest lived in this house. He died some years ago, but his homilies and personal writings are still in the clay hut. Although this is not his bed, it might have looked similar.

What are the principal challenges facing the Church in Congo?

There is no lack of them… Poverty, the rapid increase in the Pentecostalist sects, masonry, exorcism, the disrespect shown by some of the local animist groups, with their fetishes, towards the Catholic faith – and also the fact that the parishes are so far from one another and so isolated that many of the priests feel very much alone and can sometimes lose their sense of vocation and mission. This is why ACN wants to help with various forms of spiritual retreats and other projects aimed at the training of priests and religious, especially the younger ones, in order to renew their strength and provide the example they need.

What other kinds of projects do you envisage as a result of this visit to Congo?

We want to sponsor certain projects in the national seminary – the only seminary in the whole of the country – to encourage the careful discernment of authentic vocations.

We also saw for ourselves the lack of financial resources for evangelization – both the lack of religious books, such as missals for example, and the lack of transport, such as boats, to reach all the Catholic faithful. And there is also a need to repair and renovate the houses and convents of the priests and religious sisters. Many of them are living in appalling conditions, and some without drinking water.

Congo – Brazzaville, February 2018 – Farell, 27 year old, never met a priest before he was 11 years old. Christened at 11, he comes from Kinkala diocese. He wants to become a priest because : ” I don’t want my little brothers to live the same thing as me – I mean – not to meet a priest during my entire childhood.”

In the Church’s year we have just celebrated the Resurrection of Christ. What kind of Paschal message, what message of hope has stayed with you since your journey?

We recall in particular the hard work, the inner light, the goodness and hope that shine forth from people like Bishop Manamika Bafouakouahou. He is filled with energy in his desire to help his people move forward and overcome, little by little, the problems they face. He has a very deep faith and a very clear vision. He goes out into the streets himself to talk with the people, and he organizes a regular “week of evangelization” that inspires thousands of people to come and listen to him.

What, for you, was one of the most moving or emotional moments of your journey?

We had a wonderful experience in the diocese of Impfondo, where they were celebrating the first Holy Mass of three new priests who had been ordained on January 6th of this year. It was a traditional ceremony, and afterwards they danced and sang with an exceptional spirit of joy. The priests were dressed in garlands of greenery over the top of their priestly dress, around their necks and around their waists, while the faithful themselves were dressed in their traditional garments and danced with a sort of broomstick made of branches – as a symbol of unity, flexibility and endurance. The happiness and also the pride of these people in their three new priests, and despite their many sufferings, were most impressive.

Sister Roberta is the rector of the catholic primary school in the diocese of Gamboma. The sisters painted the school in a very colorful way and use the pictures donated by ACN (above her head) for catechesis. Some of the families sending their children to this school are not even able to feed them. The sisters need to wash and shower the children and give them a breakfast before school starts. Some of the children come even on a Saturday and ask the sisters if they can help with some gardening, because they have nothing to eat at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: The people are well and truly on the Via Dolorosa!

29.03.2018 in ACN Canada, ACN Interview, Africa, Aid to the Church in Need Canada, By Mario Bard, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), DRC Congo, International Catholic Charity Aid to the Church in Need, Journey with ACN, Julie Bourbeau, Julie Bourdeau

Democratic Republic of the Congo:

The people are well and truly on the Via Dolorosa!

Since the mid-1990s, entire areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and particularly the eastern parts of the country, have been caught up in a never-ending nightmare: the people are well and truly on the Via Dolorosa! Just like Jesus on the Cross, the deeply devout people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have every reason to call out to God in desperation: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

“Yes, in the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one can really speak of a Via Dolorosa,” a contact person from the diocese of Butembo-Beni, who remains anonymous out of safety concerns, said to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). “A climate of terror reigns in the diocese, which is maintained by the armed groups that have moved into the region since 1995.” The source emphasized that the situation is even worse in a number of parishes that are located in the region that journalists call the “triangle of death”. This concerns four parishes, “namely Eringeti, Mbau, Oicha and Buisegha in the commune of Beni. The parishes Kipese, Kagheri, Bingi and Luofu are located in the territory of Lubero. A number of residents of these parishes have spent more than twenty years constantly fleeing from one place to the next!”

Dioceses are doing what they can to help displaced and refugee people. Here in Butembo-Beni, distribution of food.

 

 

The cause of this never-ending nightmare is the presence of rebel groups that have been slaughtering the population since 1995. “These massacres are taking place in the northern parts of the diocese of Butembo-Beni, or, to be more precise, in the commune of Beni, as well as the environs of the city of Beni,” the source told ACN. “These massacres have now spread to the neighbouring province of Ituri, which is located in the northern part of our province of North Kivu.”

 

Among other groups, a Muslim guerrilla organization that originated in Uganda and goes by the name of ADF-Nalu (Allied Democratic Forces) is responsible for the massacres. The rebels have been in the diocese since 1995. The contact person further reported that “analyses have shown that the manner in which the killings are being carried out is similar to that used during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.” This has convinced a number of observers that a “Rwandan mastermind” could be behind the massacres that have been terrorizing the people in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than 25 years.

 

“These villains use machetes and axes to mercilessly kill young and old people, women and children,” the informant said.

 

He also mentioned “a project for Balkanization” that is being promoted by unknown forces with the goal of literally creating a “Tutsiland” that would reach “over our entire province of North Kivu, across South Kivu and across the province of Ituri. These would then join Rwanda. That is the reason why the peaceful population is being massacred: to obliterate all traces of the indigenous peoples who are cultivating the land. This is what has turned these populations into a flood of refugees. We don’t know at which level the complicity [of the different state agencies] is happening – on a regional, national or even international level,” the informant continued.

 

He also explained that the exploitation of natural resources and the control over these riches, as well as “greed”, also play a role in these massacres and have led thousands upon thousands of people to flee. According to estimates provided by Doctors without Borders, since December 2017, 50,000 people have crossed Lake Albert, a large lake in Ituri province, to escape the massacres, the raping of the women, children and old people and the destruction of their villages. They are finding shelter in Uganda on the other side of the lake.

 

How is it possible to proclaim the Gospel here?

 

Mothers with their children, expecting better days.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Church continues to be one of the strongest moral and social powers. “Our church in Butembo-Beni is working on sensitizing the people so that the refugees are taken in by families,” the contact person explained. “The diocese has called for donations of money and goods (food, clothing, equipment) several times. However, the never-ending war has so impoverished the people that almost nothing is collected anymore in response to these calls for donations.”

 

The Church remains strong in spite of the atmosphere of terror and persecution under which it is suffering. The source explained that the passage in the Gospels “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) helps the people to keep going. He also made reference to a well-known biblical figure: Job. “We have taken as an example the tenacity and the witness in suffering as well as the perseverance and patience of Job.”

 

During Holy Week, ACN specifically calls for prayers for the inhabitants of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as for the Church that works for the Congolese people and is being persecuted for this reason. Since 2015, the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need has been supporting 823 projects with over 16 million dollars.