Church News

Since February 12 at 12:15 p.m. that HE Bishop José-Bernard LIKOLO arrived in Yakoma aboard the humanitarian plane in the presence of an immense crowd of Christians around the tarmac of the aerodrome. All the faithful were doubly joyful: First, the welcome of the Bishop for the very first time in Yakoma since his appointment, on August 1, 2023 by the Holy Father as Apostolic Administrator Sede vacante of Molegbe; then for the closing of the Centenary of evangelization of the parish of Saint Jean Berchmans from February 12 to 18, 2024.

It was during the mass he celebrated, this Sunday, February 11, 2024, in front of the chapel of the chaplaincy of this hospital in the presence of the general director, the nursing and administrative staff of this health establishment. In his homily inspired by the liturgical texts of the day (Leviticus 13, 1-2.45-46; 1 Corinthians 10, 31-11, 1 and Mark 1, 40-45), the first pastor of the Diocese of Kisantu, among other things, exhorted the participants in this Eucharistic celebration on the importance of our physical and spiritual proximity to the person who is suffering,

Speaking of the joy in the ethos of the Christians of Yakoma, it was plural. First the reception of Mgr the bishop for the very first time in Yakoma in general since his appointment, on August 1, 2023 by the Holy Father as Apostolic Administrator Sede vacante of Molegbe; then for the closing of the Centenary of evangelization of the parish of Saint Jean Berchmans from the 12th to the 18th of this month.

Father Bishop, you are currently the image of the river into which all kinds of garbage are thrown. This river drains them patiently and calmly towards other dwellings, always revealing the beauty and clarity of the flow of water. It is the image of “Christ, who, when insulted, did not insult in return, when mistreated, did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.” 1 Peter 2:23

On this February 2, 2024, the leaders of Consecrated Life in the Archdiocese of Bangui in the CAR spent this day at the Saint Michel parish under the direction of Reverend Sister Lucie Mbomi, head of Consecrated Life in the Archdiocese of Bangui. After the welcoming words by the parish priest, the consecrated men and women were honored in the morning by three conferences on Consecrated life according to the vision of the Church, on Consecrated life in the service of the mission in the Church Family of God and on Consecrated life facing the challenges of managing new information and communication technologies. These were presented respectively by

...To be with him, to remain with him, is the most important thing for the disciple of the Lord. Faith, in short, is not a theory, but an encounter, it is to go and see where the Lord lives and to remain with Him... the joy of the Gospel is always extroverted, contagious, never intimate.

Before the separation, Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Archbishop of Bangui, honored this meeting with his presence. Despite the great celebration that he led that same Saturday 20 at the Notre Dame d'Afrique parish for the collation of the lectorate, upon returning home at 1 p.m., he insisted on staying a few moments with the priests, religious men and women present until granting his blessing. He did not fail to praise and encourage this kind of activities in his diocese.

Since their appointment to the charge of each apostolic region, the auxiliary bishops of Kinshasa have each been familiar with the real situation of each region under their responsibility, according to their own agenda. The Archdiocese of Kinshasa currently has 190 parishes and more than 55 sub-parishes divided into 23 deaneries, and these are divided into three apostolic regions: Kin-Centre administered by Monsignor Carlos Ndaka, Kin-Ouest by Monsignor Edouard Isango and Kin-Est by Monsignor Edouard Tshimba.

We are in the Archdiocese of Kisangani (DRC) which is under the episcopal charge of Monsignor Marcel Utembi (President of CENCO). This large diocese with an area of 150,123 km2, has more than 1,300,000 Catholics speaking three official languages of the DRC: Swahili, Lingala and French.

At dusk on this day of January 6, Monsignor Likolo led the Pilgrimage with the ordinands, the profession of faith and the taking of the oath of fidelity in view of the sacred orders in the parish church of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows of Gemena-city.

Under the initiative of the Chancellor and Diocesan Director of the OPM with the collaboration of the Diocesan Youth Commission (CDJ) of Kikwit, Monsignor Timothée Bodika celebrated the first edition of the International Day of Missionary Childhood in his diocese. During this day of January 6, 2024, the diocese of Kikwit vibrated to the rhythm of missionary childhood at the esplanade of the Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral which attracted several young people.

Monsignor Abel Liluala was born on April 23, 1964 in Cabinda, Angola, near Pointe-Noire. After studying at the Minor Seminary of Tshela, in the diocese of Boma, he obtained his degree in philosophy at the Major Seminary Saint André Kaggwa, in Kinshasa (DR Congo).