Democratic Republic of Congo – Start of celebratory year of 40 years of Salesian presence in Goma

04 February 2021

(ANS - Rome) - Saturday 30 January was a day of celebration for the Catholic community of Goma, and especially for the Salesian Family. On the eve of the feast day of Don Bosco, a special celebration was held at the Salesian Industrial Technical Institute of Goma (ITIG), the first Salesian house in Goma and in the whole eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo: on the occasion, Msgr. Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, Bishop of the Diocese of Goma, accompanied by Mons. Faustin Ngabu, Bishop Emeritus of Goma, solemnly launched the celebration of 40 years of Salesian presence in that region.

During the Mass celebrated at ITIG "Don Bosco", Mgr. Ngumbi Ngengele made a vibrant appeal to adults, teachers, parents, authorities and religious. "Let us become imitators of the zeal of St. John Bosco, of this model that the Church offers us as educators ... The Father and Teacher of Youth!"

Continuing, he underlined that Don Bosco bequeathed his grand intuitions: to offer children and young people, especially the poorest, love, affection and sweetness; to make them know and love Jesus; to strive for young people to cultivate reason, intelligence and understanding; so that they know religion and catechesis and thus know and love God ...

"The nobility of mankind is seen in the service of one's neighbor, the least, the poorest, the marginalized, the oppressed, etc. Let us thus follow the example of this dynamic, passionate, vigorous Saint of youth. Don Bosco used love and sweetness in his search for God and in his ministry to other poor people like him," concluded the prelate.

To enhance the opening ceremony of the 40th anniversary of the Salesian presence in the East of the country there was the presence of two great living witnesses of the arrival of the first Salesians in the diocese of Goma: Bro. Honorato Alonso, SDB, and Msgr. Ngabu. The first, one of the missionary pioneers in Goma, where he arrived on 11 September 1981, described the 40 years of the Salesian mission in the diocese of Goma as "a work of Providence and the generosity of its protagonists, the young". And that's why he said to pray that the future is better than the past. Mgr.Ngabu, bishop emeritus of the diocese, instead recalled Fr Michel Reyners, religious of the Missionary of Africa, sympathizer from the very start of the Salesian work, who suggested he invite the Salesians to Goma when he was ordinary bishop in the diocese, so that they would contribute to the accompaniment of young people.

In conclusion, Fr Pascal Mumba, representing the Provincial of Central Africa (AFC), asked all the Salesians to bear witness to the young, as signs and bearers of Don Bosco's charism and spirituality. He then observed that Salesian educational and evangelizing action finds fertile ground for Salesian religious vocations in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and he encouraged his Salesian confreres in the mission they carry out in this part of the Province for the benefit of poor and abandoned young people.

Jambo Vijana

InfoANS

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