I went to open a chapel in the parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Ifwanzondo, in the diocese of Idiofa, in the province of Kwilu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The chapel had been closed for a year after the catechist's death.
On Saturday, April 19, 2025, I arrived in the Musu/Mpom sub-paroisse. It's 2:30. It is the leader of the group who welcomes me, with a sad look. « My father, he says, my village is traumatized during these days here by state agents. They spent three days taxing goats, pigs and cocks, and they just left. »
An hour later, with a small group of singers present, we began the rehearsal of the songs for Easter night Mass. Mass was scheduled at 4:00 p.m., before the night, for lack of proper lamps and because Easter Mass is scheduled in Ifwanzondo, the parish seat, and then in another locality, Ifwanzondo-nsi.
After the chants were repeated in Musu, a meal was served before Mass. And during the meal, I had to answer a series of pastoral questions, for example: the regional catechist died after selling the bike that the parish had given, and the titular catechist also died; and for more than a year, his family has retained liturgical books and bicycles for the service of the sub-parity. What should we do? You are all in error, I replied, explaining that the Church's property is acquired following a formation which the catechists have received in the parish and that the management of the property must follow the rule learned during this formation and that any slippage must be immediately reported to the priest in order for him to make arrangements. I promised, moreover, to report the question to the parish priest, Father Gérard Ndukulu.
Another question was asked about the Oblates: why have they not been coming for some time?
And Easter night Mass began, finally, at 5:23 p.m. I was able to live the element of hope in this sub-parity invaded by Protestants: the faith and commitment of the two leaders, the leader of the group and the village leader. They are both faithful committed to the Catholic faith received from the apostles. However, Protestants are well present in this village with the only primary school in the village. They managed to recover a large number of Catholics because of the prolonged absence of parish priests.
At the homily, I insisted on prayer. Resurrected Jesus changed our life. The ancient man is destroyed. There appears a new man, who must live as Jesus wants. Jesus is Jesus, in his feelings, his way of acting. He asks us to love neighbor, he calls happy those who suffer for righteousness, those who weep. He thinks that the suffering of the righteous, if united with him, produces heavenly joy...
We concluded our Easter vigil with a festive meal because I should go to the village Ifwanzondo-nsi for the Mass of the day. On foot, we left, under the threat of rain, up to fifteen kilometers. The next morning, Mass began at 9:00 a.m.
The gestures more than words
Before Mass, a teacher pulled a white cloth out of her bag. She quickly erected an empty tomb. The gesture easily attracted the attention of everyone, of myself too. All the dance accompanying the Easter songs takes place around this « empty tomb ». To my question, the teacher replied: « Father, gestures teach more than words. »
John of God MODJI, o.m.i.
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