On Sunday, 5 November, Father Thomas Mukiramfi, a member of the provincial council, represented the provincial superior, Father Constant Kienge-Kienge, at the celebrations opening the centenary of the parish Christ-Roi d'Aketi, in the province of Lower Uele, diocese of Buta. The vicar general of the diocese of Lolo, Bishop Christophe Aboya, represented the bishop of Lolo and apostolic administrator of Buta, Bishop Jean-Bertin Nadonye. Among the dozen concelebrating priests from the dioceses of Buta, Lolo and Lisala were Oblates who arrived from Ekama in the diocese of Lolo.
It was the bishop of Lolo, Bishop Jean-Bertin Nadonye, a former Capuchin student of the Theologat Saint Eugene de Mazenod of Kinshasa, who in 2022 obtained the agreement of the provincial superior and the superior general of the Oblates to serve the parish that had remained without a priest since 2014. The parish Christ-Roi of Aketi has been served since 2022 by Oblate missionaries Gabriel Kinze and Serge Mpiana, respectively parish priest and vicar. Scholastic brother Jonathan Osila is doing an internship there this year.
The bishop of Lolo has been apostolic administrator of the neighbouring diocese of Buta since the resignation of Bishop Joseph Banga in 2021. The diocese of Buta currently has about twenty priests, including about ten diocesan priests. Fathers Kinze and Mpiana are already focusing on the pastoral care of the priestly and religious vocations of men and women.
On 5 November, Bishop Aboya invited the faithful of Aketi to take charge of the life and future of their parish, to collaborate with the priests and to protect the common heritage. There was a strong presence of Protestant pastors and members of the « Awakening Churches ». The participation of Muslims was also remarkable. There were also political and administrative authorities and customary leaders.
It was in 1923 that Bishop Amando Vanuytven founded the parish Christ-Roi of Aketi. Pre-demonstrated missionaries served the parish until 1999, when a first diocesan priest, Fr. Robert Ngonde, arrived. But the diocese of Buta did not have many priests, and from 2014 to 2022, the parish of Aketi will be managed by a pastoral council of lay people, accompanied at a distance by the dean.
Immediately, Fathers Gabriel Kinze and Serge Mpiana began to prepare for the opening of the centenary of the parish. On November 4, Bishop Aboya laid the foundation stone for the construction of a centenary Marian cave. A fund-raising exercise was organized for this purpose.
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