Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lubumbashi (Agenzia Fides) – On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the evangelization of the Province of Katanga in southeastern DRC, local authorities have decided to dedicate a road in Lubumbashi, the provincial capital, to Jean-Félix Hemptine, the first bishop of the city. This is what Fides was told in a recent statement sent to its headquarters.
Fr. Jean Hemptine-Félix, Benedictine monk from the Abbey of Saint-André-lez-Bruges in Belgium, arrived in 1910 in Elizabethville, now Lubumbashi, along with his brothers. He later became Vicar Apostolic, then Apostolic Prefect, and was finally consecrated bishop. He died in 1958, leaving the memory of a dynamic Bishop. As a member of the provincial council, he recommended a policy of assimilation inspired by Christian values, and a direct political administration, in which blacks and whites enjoyed equal rights. At the time, the Congo was a Belgian colony that was about to become independent.
To mark the 100th anniversary of evangelization, Fr. Germain Kasonde, historian and Vicar of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, has written a book entitled, “Bishop Jean de Hemptine Felix, Founder of the Apostolic Prefecture and Apostolic Vicariate of Katanga. The political vision and social works in industrial Katanga 1910-1958.”
The centenary celebrations will end August 15, 2010. The Archbishop of Lubumbashi, His Excellency Floribert Songasonga Mwitwa, hopes that this will be a year of giving thanks for the gift of the Gospel through the first missionaries that arrived, who faced difficulties such as the hostile nature of the place.
The centenary is also the occasion for an examination of conscience of the baptized, who are asked to assess their progress in faith.
The richness of the faith brought by missionaries is evidenced by the activities of pastoral agents working in the area: from Salesian missionaries to Benedictines, from diocesan priests to catechists. Currently are 120 diocesan priests present in the diocese or on missions abroad. They are few, considering that they must serve 68 parishes and other communities. Diocesan priests are joined by Benedictines, Salesians, Missionaries of Africa, the Holy Ghost Fathers, and the Sons of the Incarnation.
To mark the centenary, every parish is organizing a Triduum of prayer and reflection on the feast of their patron saint. The various diocesan commissions are called to reflect on the Christian witness in the various areas and religious congregations are called to reflect on their charism. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 05/27/2010)
