Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Fides Service)- The Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate OMI are celebrating 75 years of service in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Celebrations will start on Saturday 11 February with a Mass at St Elias parish Kinshasa and conclude on Friday 17 February on the 184th anniversary of the approval of the congregation by Pope Leo XII. The Congregation was founded on 25 January 1816 in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France by the Bishop of Marseilles, now Saint Eugène de Mazenod (1782-1861).
From 11 to 17 February the Oblate missionaries invite all to pray to thank God for the graces he has bestowed since the arrival on 12 July 1931 of Belgian OMI missionary Fr Eudore Hubert at Ipamu, today diocese of Bandundu, in what was then Belgian Congo. Commemoration events will be held at the OMI Scholasticate in Kinshasa-Kintambo and in 3 parishes where the OMI missionaries serve today: St. Elias in Kinshasa-Barumbu, St. Philip at Kinshasa-Ngaliema and Christ the Saviour at Kinshasa-Selembao. After the diocese of Idiofa, the Oblates opened missions in the archdiocese of Kinshasa in 1966, diocese of Isangi 1987, diocese of Kikwit, Bandundu province in 1992. In 1997 they opened two missions in Luanda and in Namacunde in neighbouring Angola. To mark this anniversary the OMI are opening a new parish mission at Ekama diocese of Lolo, in Equator Province.
Oblate missionaries work in the fields of parish pastoral care, teaching, education of youth, caring for the sick and assistance to prisoners. Recently they have opened Information Technologu Centres in Kinshasa and in Yaoundé capital of Cameroon.
The seeds sown 75 years ago have borne fruit: today the OMI community in DR Congo consists of 141 men, all but 16 Congo born. In addition to these there are another 20 Congolese OMI missionaries in various countries of Africa and in other parts of the world.
As part of celebrations three Conferences will be held at the Institute Eugène de Mazenod: 12 February Fr Léonard Santedi will speak about theological reflection in Africa; 13 February, Fr Nestor Mpimpa, will speak about OMI missionary activity in Africa; 14 February Fr Godé Iwele, will speak about the OMI mission in Congo. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 9/2/2006 righe 35 parole 412)
